Taming a Black Heart
by HermioneLunaPotter
Summary: It seemed that she had been living in shades of grey for her entire life. And then there was Ted; all gold and lovely and Andromeda felt like she was seeing the sun for the first time.
1. Prologue

**_Hello fellow readers. Yes, I have started another story. This is something I have been working on for a little while and I'm pretty proud of it. Ted and Andromeda are a couple I have always wanted to explore because I find their relationship interesting. This story starts in their first year of Hogwarts and then will skip forward to their sixth year (you will understand why when you keep reading). I hope you enjoy! xx_**

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_Prologue_

Druella Black groaned and rested her fair head back amongst the pillows. The labour had been longer than with Bellatrix and she was exhausted. Her sister-in-law attended to her, wiping her forehead with a damp cloth.

"Another girl, Mrs Black," the wet nurse announced as she cleaned the tiny newborn. "Healthy as a hippogriff, too."

Druella was less impressed. "All that effort and she doesn't make a sound," she grumbled. "Rude, insolent brat."

Her sister-in-law, Walburga, clicked her tongue as she smoothed away some of Druella's blonde hair. "Come now, Druella. Don't dislike the child before you've gotten to know her."

The mother nodded her head reluctantly and pursed her lips. Once the child was clean, the wet nurse brought her over and placed her in Druella's arms. The child hardly moved, unlike Bellatrix, who had made it difficult for Druella to keep her hold. As she gazed down upon her newborn, all previous resentment was completely erased and replaced by adoration. Druella Black was, by no stretch of the imagination, a maternal figure. She cared for her eldest, Bellatrix, and provided the necessary attention that was required from a mother, but any further affection or love was left to the nanny. And yet her heart was warmed when her daughter opened her deep, brown eyes, the eyes of her father. Her finger reached out and stroked the soft wisps of mahogany hair that clung to her daughter's tiny forehead. With a soft gurgle, the newborn burrowed into her mother's breast and Druella thrilled at the warm body cradled against her chest.

Walburga smiled down at her sister-in-law and her little niece, enjoying the rare moments when Druella actually showed affection.

"Should I call for Cygnus?" she asked. Druella met her gaze and nodded, before returning her attention to her child.

Before too long, Walburga returned with Cygnus at her side and little Bella on her hip. Cygnus knelt beside his wife and brushed his lips chastely to her cheek.

"Isn't she beautiful, my love?"

But Cygnus did not partake in her rapture. Instead, he looked rather disappointed. "Another girl," he muttered bitterly, standing up and patting down his robes. "Of course, you disappoint me again, Druella." He turned on his heel without a second glance at his wife and left the bedchamber with a sweep of his robes. Druella frowned after him, hurt and betrayal evident on her face. Walburga rushed to her side and set Bella beside her mother. The little girl pointed a chubby finger at the child. Druella laughed softly and pressed a kiss to her eldest daughter's pale cheek.

"This is your sister, Bellatrix."

The girl screwed up her nose in disgust and shook her head of short, black curls. At the ripe age of 13 months, Bellatrix had already developed distaste for the weak and vulnerable. Druella sighed at her impertinent daughter.

"She's only a baby, Bella. But she'll grow."

Bellatrix seemed doubtful but kissed her sister's head briefly.

"What's her name?" Walburga asked.

Druella thought for a moment. Naming a child was an important step in motherhood. She was a Black, and therefore needed a name that fit the title. Something elegant, yet unique. Something refined. A smile curled her lips as she looked upon her little daughter.

"Andromeda," she said firmly, stroking the infant's cheek. "Her name is Andromeda."

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_**The way I have constructed Andromeda's family is thus: Cygnus is a horrible father figure who cares very little about his daughters, all except Bellatrix. Druella is a little more affectionate, yet she favours Narcissa over her other daughters because she is the baby of the family. Bellatrix is spoiled, rude and aggressive and enjoys teasing Andromeda. She usually gets her own way. Andromeda is reserved and refined, and dislikes her father and Bellatrix. Narcissa is a crybaby and is doted upon by her mother. **_

**_Please read and review! I would love to hear your feedback and reviews are great for my motivation! xx_**


	2. Chapter One

**_Hello again! Thank you to all the people who reviewed this story. It makes me so happy! I hope you enjoy this next chapter. _**

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_Chapter One_

For the every child of the Wizarding World, September first was a day that had been long awaited for, and for Andromeda Black, it couldn't have come sooner. She sat at her dresser, her small hands placed elegantly in her lap as the nanny brushed her long, mahogany hair and pinned it up with a green ribbon. Although her exterior remained impassive, her insides were bursting with excitement. No longer would she have to listen in envy to Bella's stories about the old castle, pretending to appear bored so as not to provoke her sister. No longer would she have to entertain Cissy, who was an impossible, spoilt brat at the best of times. Most importantly, Andromeda was longing for the day to be finally out of her parent's grasp. For eleven years, she had put up with their silent quarrelling; assuring Narcissa that it was merely playful banter. But it wasn't. She knew that. And despite what Bellatrix said, Andromeda knew it hadn't escaped her older sister's knowledge either. Her parent's marriage was crumbling to pieces and Andromeda was glad to finally be left out of it.

As she sat in silence, the nanny reminded her of what her mother had told her the night before. Behave yourself. Don't speak unless spoken to. Don't disgrace the family name. Respect the professors and prefects. And the most important; don't mingle with Mudbloods. Andromeda had heard it all before. She was a well mannered girl; polite, refined, everything the daughter of a great Pureblood family should be. She snorted and was punished by a sharp rap of the hairbrush on her shoulder.

"Ladies don't snort," the nanny scolded, poking and prodding more pins into Andromeda's head. Andromeda rolled her eyes but remained still, until she was presentable. The nanny stood up and turned Andromeda around to face her. Her smile was one of pride and accomplishment as she admired her handiwork. With a nod of her head, she bid Andromeda goodbye and left the room in a flourish, leaving Andromeda by herself. She stood up hastily, patted down her skirt and stood in front of the full length mirror in the corner of her room. Even she had to admit, she looked very pretty. Her mother had certainly gone to much trouble to make sure she looked presentable. Already dressed in her Hogwarts robes, with a black skirt and tights underneath, she looked exactly like any daughter of a wealthy, aristocratic, Pureblood family should look. She held herself with poise, her regal nose pointed in the air as she had been taught to. She had even perfected that little sneer that women of her background usually possessed.

"Lovely."

Andromeda turned her head to see her sister standing in the doorway, already dressed in her school robes and Slytherin attire. Andromeda glanced over at her in disdain.

"What do you want, Bella," she asked rudely.

Bellatrix shrugged and flicked her long tangle of ebony curls over one shoulder. "Nothing, dearest Meda," she sneered. "Just making a comment on my sister's appearance. I'm allowed to do that, aren't I?"

Andromeda huffed and returned to looking at herself in mirror. To say she resented her older sister was an understatement. She positively loathed everything about her. Bellatrix was rude, obnoxious, and cruel and had the makings of an evil mastermind at the young age of twelve. Poor Andromeda often had to witness her acts of malice, often taken out on poor innocent birds or rodents that happened to be in her way.

Bellatrix snorted loudly in the corner and Andromeda threw her a look of disgust.

"You're just like Cissy," the older girl drawled. "Trying to impress the boys at Hogwarts are we, Meda? Hah. Looks will get you nowhere. Men want women who are strong willed and confident." In an effort to prove her point, Bellatrix held her head high in the air, giving off an aura of arrogance. Andromeda rolled her eyes at her sister.

"Bella, I'm eleven. And you are twelve, may I remind you. What concern should we have for boys at our age?"

"I have none," Bella said firmly, her grey eyes narrowing under her thick, black eyebrows. "Though the same cannot be said for you and Cissy."

With an exaggerated sigh, Andromeda flopped onto her bed and picked up the book she had been reading before being interrupted by the nanny.

"Is there any other reason you came in here, other than to insult me?" she asked in a bored voice as she flicked through the pages.

Bellatrix turned on her heel with an angry huff and stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind her. Andromeda chuckled happily. Her sister hated when Andromeda didn't react to her taunting. It had been happening for years, so she was used to it by now. Still, Bellatrix liked to hope.

She continued to hum to herself as she read her book, becoming more and more intrigued as time went on. There was something about reading that Andromeda adored. The fantasy, the far off places; it was food for her imagination. Nothing was better to pass the time stuck in a house full of glum, insolent and self-absorbed people than reading, and it was a good way to keep out of her mother's eye. Just as she was getting to the climax of the novel, there was a sharp rap on her door.

"Andromeda?"

She lifted her head at the curt voice and sighed deeply. "Yes, mother," she called back.

"It's time for us to leave. Hurry up and get downstairs."

"Right away, mother."

Shutting her book and stowing it away in her Hogwarts' trunk, Andromeda hauled it down the marble staircase with much difficulty to greet her waiting family. Her family was certainly an attractive one. Standing tall above the rest of them was her father, Cygnus Black, looking down upon his family over his long, regal nose, his dark hair slicked back over his forehead. Next to him, Narcissa clutched her mother's hand, the pair looking quite the matched set. Both were small, slight and fair, with pale blonde hair and large, blue eyes. Bellatrix stood proudly by her father's side; his long, pale fingers rested on her shoulder. Andromeda sighed. Only Bellatrix was a worthy daughter in the eyes of her father. And with Narcissa never leaving their mother's side, Andromeda often felt left out. Not that she particularly minded; her parents weren't the affectionate type.

"Andromeda, for Merlin's sake," shrilled her mother, angrily. "Use your wand, girl. You are not some filthy Muggle."

Andromeda scowled as she reached the bottom stair, her chest heaving with the effort it took to drag her full trunk down the staircase.

"But, mother, I'm not allowed to use magic outside of school," she reminded her. Bellatrix cackled and glanced up at their father.

"_But, mother, I'm not allowed to use magic outside of school,"_ she mocked in an uncharacteristically high voice. "Are you afraid you'll turn out to be a dirty Squib and embarrass the entire family?"

"That's enough Bellatrix," the deep voice of their father boomed. His cold, expressionless eyes bored into her and she immediately quietened. "Let's not waste our breath on your incapable sister."

Flashing her sister with a triumphant sneer, Bellatrix followed her father to the lounge, where the fireplace was waiting to Floo them to the station. Druella tugged on Narcissa's arm and followed her husband passively. Andromeda crossed her arms and scowled at her father's retreating figure. She could understand Bellatrix being cruel and hurtful; she was only twelve years old and would surely grow out of the phase by the time she reached womanhood. But her father was a different matter.

"Come on, Meda," Narcissa's pointed face appeared behind the doorframe, her large blue eyes widened in fear. "You'll be late," she whispered fretfully. "We don't want to make Daddy angry."

Andromeda sighed and called for Quigley, the House Elf. The tiny creature instantly appeared before her in a puff of smoke and bowed low before her. Andromeda instructed him to carry her trunk for her, as it was too heavy, and then went to join her family. Quigley fell into step behind her, her Hogwarts trunk floating by his head.

"There you are, Miss Andromeda," Quigley bowed low again, before setting the trunk at her feet. "Quigley wishes you a pleasant term at Hogwarts. Quigley will miss you very – "

There was a crack and a yelp of pain. The House Elf cowered and shrunk away from Andromeda.

"Silence, filth!" Cygnus bellowed, withdrawing his long, black cane from where he had hit the creature over the head. "Away with you."

Quigley whimpered and slowly backed out of the room, continuing his string of bows. "Of course, Master. Quigley is sorry, Master."

Andromeda turned on her father in outrage. She could not believe what he had just done. But he merely held up a hand to silence her and then ducked his head as he and Bellatrix stepped into the fireplace. Andromeda looked pleadingly at her mother for some sort of support. Druella at least had a heart, even if she was strict and somewhat incapable of showing affection to anyone but Narcissa. Her mother merely shook her head and gave Andromeda a silencing look.

"Platform 9 and ¾," Bellatrix cried and the two of them disappeared in a flash of green.

Druella and Narcissa stepped into the empty fireplace, gripping each other's hands tightly. Her mother beckoned for Andromeda to join them and she grudgingly dragged her trunk into the pit. Druella took a handful of Floo powder and soon, they plunged into pool of green flames. When Andromeda opened her eyes again, she was standing on the platform. To her left, the Hogwarts Express waited patiently for the students to board, a thick plume of steam puffing out of the top. It rang loud and clear, echoing off the brick walls. All around, hundreds of students were preparing to board, some already dressed in their robes like she was, some still in their everyday attire. Andromeda gazed around in wonder. The year before, she had waited with Narcissa, muttering a bitter goodbye as Bellatrix left for Hogwarts. This year, Andromeda was going to experience the same wonder and excitement as her older sister had before her. And she couldn't wait.

Her instincts told her to run away from her family and board the train without a second glance. But she was a young lady, and young ladies handled everything with grace and elegance. Her father and Bellatrix were standing by the train, waiting for the three of them to catch up. He frowned down at Andromeda as she approached, but gave Bellatrix a small, stiff smile. It was the most affection she had ever seen on the man's face.

"Have a good term, Bellatrix," he said formally, shaking his daughter's hand as though she was one of his work colleagues and not his daughter about to leave for three months. Bellatrix smiled up at him, though it was more scornful than sweet.

"Thank you, father," she simpered, causing Andromeda to roll her eyes.

Cygnus cast his gaze over his second daughter, his eyes emotionless as he regarded her.

"Goodbye, Andromeda," he said shortly.

Andromeda nodded her head respectively, keeping her teeth gritted before turning to her mother. Druella embraced her stiffly and pressed her lips to her forehead. Andromeda hugged her back. Her mother wasn't so bad. At the very least, she seemed to care about her daughters.

"Have a good term, dear," Druella said. "And remember what I told you. Don't misbehave. Don't talk out of turn. Don't disgrace the family name. Respect your teachers and prefects – "

"And most importantly, don't mingle with Mudbloods. Yes, mother, you've told me a thousand times already."

Druella rapped her sharply on the shoulder and narrowed her pale blue eyes. "Don't be rude," she said. "Now, say goodbye your sister."

Andromeda was glad to be out of her mother's cold arms and went to kiss Narcissa's pale, soft hair. The younger girl sniffed and swiped at her nose with the back of her hand. Andromeda stroked her pale cheek and tilted her chin to stare into her clear, blue, watery eyes.

"Hey," she said gently. "Don't cry, Cissy. I'll only be gone for a few months. Then I'll come home for Christmas."

"I know," Narcissa said weakly. "I'm just going to miss you."

Andromeda kissed her cheek again and squeezed her shoulder. "Be strong."

With a final glance over her shoulder, Andromeda stepped onto the train, ready to embrace whatever Hogwarts had to offer her.

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**_Please read and review! Reviews warm my heart! Thanks to my wonderful Beta: HolyheadHarpy7 for being a wonderful editor and picking up on my mistakes! xx_  
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	3. Chapter Two

**_Hey there! Thank you again to my lovely followers and reviewers. You guys are champs! I hope you enjoy this next chapter xx_**

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_Chapter Two_

Once they had boarded the train, Andromeda and Bellatrix parted their separate ways. Bellatrix had laughed cruelly at Andromeda when she suggested joining her carriage. Even if she hated her sister, at least she would have known someone. Instead, Andromeda was forced to trudge through the corridor alone, searching for a compartment. Her people skills weren't the most refined, and having mainly been around adults and her sisters, Andromeda had never needed to make friends. Now, she was finding out just how seriously lacking her childhood had been in that particular field.

Andromeda did not think of herself as uninteresting. She was an attractive, well-spoken girl from a highly regarded family of wealthy, aristocratic and powerful witches and wizards. She was rich and had never worked a day in her life. Yet her privileged upbringing had not prepared her for this torture. Walking passed full carriages, where children laughed and played exploding snap was the most tormenting experience of her life. Eventually, she found an empty compartment and scurried into it, glad to be on her own. She pulled out her book from before and curled up next to window, becoming utterly absorbed in the novel.

A few moments later, she heard the door slide open and looked up to find a face smiling at her. Not just any face. A boy's face. Andromeda was taken aback. The only boys she knew were her cousins, and Sirius and Regulus were far too young to interact with. Yet, there was something strange about this boy. As he grinned broadly at her, Andromeda couldn't help but feel warmed. His skin was tan; his hair a sandy brown, almost gold in the sunlight that peered through the train and his eyes were a warm hazel. It was as though he radiated light and Andromeda smiled at him in spite of herself.

"Hello," he said cheerfully. "Do you mind if I sit here?"

Andromeda shut her book and crossed her legs like a lady. "Not at all," she said politely. The boy bounded in happily and sat down opposite her. They sat in silence, but Andromeda could feel his eyes on her.

"I'm Ted, by the way," he exclaimed jovially, holding out his hand. "Ted Tonks." Andromeda stared at it in confusion, before returning her gaze to his.

"You can shake my hand," he laughed, making the corners of his eyes crinkle. "I haven't got germs."

Andromeda took his hand in her dainty one and shook it gently, before quickly letting go. The boy's hand was warm and comforting, so different from the hands she held at home. Andromeda was not used to such warmth and happiness radiating from a single person. It was more than she had ever seen from any of her family members combined – except, perhaps, Sirius.

"Andromeda Black," she replied politely. "Pleasure to meet you."

Ted screwed up his face. "Andromeda? That's an awfully strange name."

She glared at him icily, a skill she had perfected since she was three. She had learnt from the best, of course. Druella Black's glare was harsher than Medusa's.

"Well," she said indignantly. "You're an awfully strange person."

Ted didn't seem to be offended in the slightest. Instead, he merely smiled brighter, emphasising more of that warm glow.

"I didn't mean to offend you," he said kindly. "I've just never heard of it before. It's not a very common name, is all."

"It's a constellation," Andromeda declared proudly, sticking her nose in the air haughtily. Druella would be proud of the performance she was giving, if only she was there to bear witness to it.

"Blimey," Ted whistled, impressed. "A constellation? Fancy that! I'm named after my grandfather, Theodore Tonks."

"So, your name is Theodore?" Andromeda asked, arching one curved, dark eyebrow.

The boy nodded. "Yep. But everyone calls me Ted. It gets confusing after a while, with so many Theodores running around."

This was news to Andromeda. She didn't even try to hide her alarm. "There are _more_ Theodores in your family?" she asked.

"My dad is Theodore Tonks the second. Which makes me Theodore Tonks the third. But Ted is my nickname."

_This boy is very odd,_ Andromeda thought to herself. And yet, she couldn't help the small smile that pulled at her lips. There was something about this strange boy that made her feel warm and fuzzy inside. As though she had been living in darkness her whole life and was finally seeing the sun for the first time. She was so caught up in her own thoughts that she didn't realise Ted had asked her a question.

"Andromeda?" he asked again, his warm, hazel eyes narrowing. "Are you listening to me?"

"Hmm?" she said, adopting the tone her mother often used when her father prattled on about one of his latest political achievements.

"Do you have a nickname? I mean, Andromeda has a lot of syllables to get your tongue around." He laughed his joyful laugh again and Andromeda gave a small laugh of her own, despite that he had insulted her name again.

"My sisters call me 'Meda'," she told him.

"Meda..." Ted's voice trailed off and he furrowed his eyebrows, deep in thought. "How about Andy?"

Andromeda screwed up her nose in disgust. "That's a _boy's_ name," she cried, utterly mortified that he would even suggest such a common nickname. "I much prefer Meda. At least it still has a nice eloquence to it."

Ted rolled his eyes. "Well, how about I call you Prissy instead?" He threw his head back and roared with laughter at her expression, making Andromeda giggle. He looked so carefree and happy, and she wanted nothing more than to join in his aura. The two of them continued laughing, at nothing in particular, until they were in stitches and their sides ached. Andromeda had never laughed so hard in her life.

Once they had calmed down, the old lady came past with the sweets trolley and Ted hurriedly bought a large stash of Liquorice Wands, Drooble's Best Blowing Gum, Bertie Botts Every Flavour Beans and Chocolate Frogs. Andromeda scoffed as he eagerly handed over a few Sickles and Knuts and surveyed his purchases greedily.

"Are you sure you didn't want to buy the whole trolley?" she drawled sarcastically. But Ted ignored her and began to unwrap one of his Chocolate Frogs.

"Holy cricket!" he yelped in surprise as a frog made entirely out of chocolate sprung out of the packet and leapt onto the window sill. Andromeda raised her eyebrows at him. Surely, he had eaten a Chocolate Frog before? He should have seen that coming. But he just gawked at it with his mouth open, his hand pinching him arm hard, making the raised skin turn white.

Andromeda reached out and pulled his arm away, before snatching up the Chocolate Frog and keeping it locked in the palms of her hands.

"Why didn't you catch it?" she asked as Ted rubbed his arm, where there was an angry red mark.

"I didn't know it was alive!" he explained in amazement.

"Have you never eaten a Chocolate Frog before?" Andromeda asked curiously.

Ted shook his head. "I'm a Muggle born. I'm not used to eating all these wizard sweets."

Andromeda froze and blinked her eyes a few times. A Mudblood? She was sharing a compartment with a Mudblood. They had shaken hands, they were breathing in the same air. They were _talking _to each other. Her stomach plummeted. What would Bellatrix say? What would her mother, or Narcissa, or any other members of her family think of her? All of a sudden, that warm, fuzzy feeling that had been bubbling inside her turned to ice. She glanced down at her hands, expecting them to be grossly disfigured or covered in warts or rotting away to the bone. To her surprise, they remained as smooth and dainty as ever. Andromeda lifted her eyes to meet Ted's, who was regarding her with concern.

From birth, Andromeda had been taught that Mudbloods were abominations, violations against nature. They were thieves of magic, they had stolen the wands of innocent witches and wizards. It had been made very clear to her from the start that Mudbloods were not like her.

Her skin crawled and she felt suddenly nauseous. She needed to leave. No one must ever find out that she had shared a conversation with a Mudblood. She would be ostracised, ridiculed, called insulting names. _Mudblood lover..._ She swallowed the lump that formed in her throat and hastily stood up and quickly departed the compartment without a second glance at the boy.

Andromeda immediately went to the small bathroom and thoroughly washed her hands. She lathered the sweet smelling soap in between each finger, over ever knuckle, until she was certain that all remnants of the Mudblood had been removed from her skin. She felt tainted. Memories of the warm, tanned skin touching her own porcelain flesh haunted her as she left the bathroom. As she traipsed through the halls, she couldn't shake the feeling that people were watching her; whispering behind her back. Did they know she had shaken the hand of a Mudblood? The Black motto echoed in her mind... _Toujours Pur_. Always Pure. But she wasn't pure; she had been tainted by filth.

Eventually, she came across Bellatrix's carriage. She tentatively opened the door and slid inside. Bella looked up at the sound and frowned upon her little sister. The compartment was shared by four other students; a rather stocky girl with stringy orange hair and a squished nose; a thin, greasy haired boy, a tall girl with cropped black hair and an olive skinned, black haired boy. Andromeda recognised the short haired girl as Ophelia Burke; Bellatrix had invited her to tea over the summer. The other three she couldn't place.

"Is this her?" sneered the orange haired girl rudely.

Bellatrix laughed cruelly. "Yes, this is her. What do you want Meda?"

Andromeda folded her hands behind her back and stared meekly at the floor. A flush coloured her pale cheeks. She loathed going to Bellatrix; it always resulted in being mocked for weeks on end about her incompetency. But she felt she had no choice.

"I don't have anywhere to sit. All the compartments are full."

At this, Bellatrix and her friends howled with laughter, making Andromeda squirm uncomfortably.

"Poor Meda," Bella simpered unkindly, adopting that high pitched voice she saved only for mocking her sister. "She can't find anywhere to sit. Hah. Not. My. Problem," she spat. Andromeda glowered darkly at her older sister and stormed out of the compartment with a swish of her long, mahogany hair. Frustrated tears welled in her eyes and she forced them back. She wasn't about to give Bellatrix the satisfaction of seeing her cry.

She continued to pass the carriages, until she came across a relatively empty one. The only occupant was a small, blonde girl curled up next to the window with an elegant grey cat resting in her lap. The girl looked up as Andromeda approached and smiled shyly. Her wide, bambi, baby blue eyes and her long hair in two plaits hanging past her shoulders reminded Andromeda of Narcissa. It made her feel comforted.

"Hello," she said politely. "Do you mind if I join you?"

The girl shook her head. "Not at all," she said sweetly as she stroked the silky fur of her cat. It purred contently and swished its tail back and forth.

Andromeda took a seat opposite her and scrutinised the girl carefully. "I'm Andromeda Black," she said, holding out her hand.

The girl's eyes widened in acknowledgement and she quickly took Andromeda's hand gently. "Rosella Avery," she said in a small voice. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

Relief spread through Andromeda's body as she took the small, pale hand in her own. Avery; she knew that name. The Averys were a high class Pureblood family like her own.

"Is this your first year too?"

"Yes," Rosella replied sadly. "But I wish it wasn't."

This caught Andromeda by surprise. Going to Hogwarts was something she had dreamed about ever since Bellatrix had gone away last year. She couldn't imagine why Rosella would want to stay at home.

"Why ever not?" she asked, not bothering to contain her astonishment.

Rosella shrugged and cast her eyes out the window as the Hogwarts Expressed passed the green pasture of the Scottish countryside.

"I've never been away from home before," she admitted softly.

Andromeda felt a stab of pity and reached out to pat Rosella's knee. "It's okay," she assured her kindly. "You're going to love it."

The young girl fixed her eyes on her, shining with hope. "You think so?"

"I know so."

The two girls smiled at each other and continued to sit in silence. Andromeda pulled out her book, drew up her knees and resumed reading.

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**A/N: Please don't hate Andromeda. She has been brought up as a Pureblood and even though she hates her sister, doesn't mean she tolerates Muggle borns... yet. Please read and review! I'd love to hear your thoughts xx**


	4. Chapter Three

**_Another chapter for you all :) I hope you enjoy the Sorting! xx_**

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_Chapter Three_

Rosella eventually went to change into her Hogwarts robes, leaving Andromeda by herself. She hummed contently and gazed out of the window. Soon, the door opened and she looked up happily, before realising who it was. Bellatrix flicked her raven curls and sat promptly next to her sister, plucking a Licorice Wand from the pile of sweets and taking out a large chunk.

"How's my little sister enjoying the trip?" she asked in a bored tone, and Andromeda had a feeling she didn't care at all. Her eyes fell on Rosella's cat and she sneered. "So, it seems you found a friend after all. You know what they say, cats makes great companions."

Andromeda rolled her eyes. "Nice to see you too, Bella. And this is my friend's cat."It felt nice to say she had a friend. The word rolled pleasantly off her tongue.

Bellatrix gasped dramatically. "A friend? You made a friend? Boring, dull, Andromeda made a friend? Well, this is really something."

Andromeda glowered darkly at her older sister, clenching her fists together tightly so that her knuckles turned white.

"I don't know why you're so surprised, Bellatrix," she spat. "I'm not a horrid troll like you, and _you_ managed to procure some companions."

Bella's jaw tightened and she clenched her teeth. She reached for her wand. "Why you little – "

"Andromeda! Did you know that there's a Giant Squid in the Black Lake?"

The two sisters turned to see the pale, horrified face of Rosella standing in the doorway, dressed smartly in her Hogwarts robes.

"Oh," she said softly when she noticed Bellatrix; her eyes narrowed in on the wand pointed at Andromeda's chest. "Did I interrupt something?"

Bellatrix cackled cruelly and stowed her wand away in her robes. "Nothing, I was just leaving. Have fun with your little _friend_, Meda." She swept past Rosella brusquely with a swish of her robes. Rosella gazed questioningly at Andromeda and she crossed her arms gruffly.

"So, now you've met my charming sister, Bellatrix," she grumbled. Rosella sat beside her and took her hand. Andromeda smiled at the comfort it brought.

"She's... nice," she said uneasily, glancing at Andromeda for a reaction. She merely scoffed.

"You don't have to pretend for my sake," she told her. "My sister is a menace."

Rosella laughed softly and squeezed her hand. "Mother always taught me that if I don't have anything nice to say, then I shouldn't say anything."

"You should have said nothing, then," she grumbled.

Rosella continued to hold her hand through the rest of the train ride, and Andromeda was glad for it.

Once they arrived at Hogwarts, the two of them chose a boat and floated across the Black Lake. Hogwarts glittered in the distance, casting its golden lights from the towers across the black, endless expanse of water. Andromeda sat up straight and composed her features into a passive dead-pan. She didn't want Rosella to think she was frightened by the prospect of accidentally falling into the murky lake.

"What was it you said about a Giant Squid?" she asked her nervously. An image of a large, slimy beast with thick tentacles instantly came to mind and she shuddered.

Rosella blanched and the two girls inched away from the edge of the boat. The boats docked at the Boat House and a tall, thin witch lead the first years up a long flight of stairs until they came to the Entrance Courtyard. The great doors opened and Andromeda gasped at the sheer size and elegance of the Entrance Hall. It was decorated with lanterns and moving portraits. Another middle aged witch in emerald green robes and a black pointed hat was waiting for them at the doors of the castle. She surveyed the first years harshly over her spectacles.

"Welcome to Hogwarts," she said sharply. "I am Professor McGonagall. Now, before I take you through to the Sorting Ceremony, I will give you a brief summary of what Hogwarts expects of you. As most of you will know, the four Hogwarts Houses were named for the four Hogwarts founders to whom they belong to. There is Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin."

Andromeda stood tall at the mention of Salazar Slytherin's name. She felt a sense of pride that she was distantly related to the Slytherin founder, a house her family had been sorted into for centuries.

"Whichever House you are sorted into will be like your family," McGonagall continued. "Your triumphs will earn you points, but any rule breaking will lose you points. At the end of the year, the House with the most points will win the House Cup."

There was a hush of excited whispering amongst the other first years. Andromeda glanced at Rosella, who looked ill, and gave her hand an encouraging squeeze.

"The sorting ceremony will begin shortly, so if you will follow me." Professor McGonagall turned on her heel and pushed open the doors, a trail of first years in two lines following behind her. Andromeda glanced around in awe at the beauty of the Great Hall. Candles shimmered above four long, wooden tables, each clad in their respective house colours. The ceiling was an exact depiction of the night sky outside, casting an eerie, yet magical feel about the expanse. At the very end of the Hall, was a long horizontal table, where the Professors sat, in their pointed black hats. Professor McGonagall led them through the middle, past the Ravenclaw and Gryffindor tables. Andromeda scanned the Slytherin table on the far right and instantly found Bellatrix. She was sniggering with one of her friends. They met each other's eyes briefly and Bella gave a firm nod; a threatening gesture to not embarrass their family.

When they reached the end of the Great Hall, Professor McGonagall lined the first years up in front of a stool, where there sat a rather ragged looking black hat. She eyed it suspiciously, remembering what Bellatrix had said in her letter last year. Sure enough, the slit above the brim opened and the hat began to sing. She felt Rosella jump next to her and giggled; she obviously hadn't been excepting that. Once the hat's song was finished, McGonagall pulled out a long roll of parchment and called out the first name.

"_Abbott, Clyde."_

A scrawny, blonde headed boy scurried nervously up to the stand and sat down on the stool warily. Andromeda recognised his name; the Abbotts were an old Pureblood family who came from a long line of Hufflepuffs. Not surprisingly, the Hat declared Clyde Abbott a Hufflepuff and the boy broke out into a grin and ran to join his cheering Housemates clad in yellow and black. His twin sister, Irene, was called next and happily went to join her brother's table.

"_Avery, Rosella."_

Rosella froze beside her. Her blue eyes were wide and terrified and she gazed imploringly at Andromeda for some sort of support. Andromeda gave her a firm nod and gently pushed her towards the hat. Rosella gulped and nervously made her way up to the hat and sat down. She was so small that her legs didn't reach the floor. McGonagall placed the hat on her head and Rosella squeezed her eyes shut tight. Andromeda crossed her fingers behind her back, willing her new found friend luck.

"SLYTHERIN!" the hat cried. Rosella stood off the stool on shaky legs and went to join her fellow Slytherins, but Andromeda didn't miss the look of terror on her face.

Andromeda knew that she would be soon. She felt herself trembling with nerves. What if she wasn't put in Slytherin? What would Bellatrix say? Her mother and father would be so ashamed of her. She would probably be cut out of the will.

"_Black, Andromeda."_

This was it. Andromeda swallowed the lump in her throat and held her nose in the air as she approached McGonagall. She sat down and placed her hands elegantly in her lap, her ankles crossed. As soon as the hat was placed on her head, she heard a voice.

"Hmm, another Black, eh?" mused the hat as it picked through her conscience. "Very talented…yes…such determination…oh my, a quite a lot of pride here too… and a thirst to prove yourself...I know where you must go…SLYTHERIN!"

Andromeda gave a sigh of relief and smiled as the hat was removed. Her eyes immediately went to Bellatrix, who was clapping heartily along with her fellow Slytherins. Feeling elated, she skipped over to join them and sat beside the terrified Rosella. The young girl smiled at her weakly, wringing her hands together nervously in her lap. Andromeda gave her an assuring smile.

"It's going to be okay, Rose," she said firmly.

Six more first years joined the Slytherin table: Amycus Carrow; a burly, red headed boy with a squashed face, Elsie Crouch, a slight girl with wavy, brown hair; Orpheus Montague; a tall, olive skinned boy with curly black hair; Ursula Parkinson, small and pug-like with cropped black hair pulled back from her face with a green headband; Rita Skeeter, an obnoxious girl with bouncy, blonde curls and Lance Travers, a skinny boy with slicked back hair. All of them looked exactly how the sons and daughters of Purebloods should look; snooty, well-polished and arrogant. Her attention was drawn back to the Sorting Ceremony, when a familiar name was called.

"_Tonks, Theodore."_

Andromeda watched as the Mudblood boy stumbled up to the stool, tripping over his feet as he did so. Some of the students at the Slytherin table snickered at him and Andromeda frowned at the boy's lack of etiquette. McGonagall placed the hat on his head and Andromeda watched with narrow eyes, pursing her lips in disgust. Subconsciously, she rubbed her hands together. The sight of him brought back the feeling of his tanned, warm, Mudblood skin touching her own.

"HUFFLEPUFF!"

Andromeda snorted. Of course, the Mudblood would be in Hufflepuff. Helga Hufflepuff had been a Mudblood lover like Rowena Ravenclaw and Godric Gryffindor. Her mind went to her Aunt Cedrella and she shook her head. After the ceremony had finished with another Slytherin joining the table; a boy by the name of Ian Yaxley, Professor Dumbledore addressed the students and the feast began. Andromeda had never seen such an endless amount of food at one sitting before. Even when her mother invited her aunt and uncle over to dinner, they were not exposed to such large proportions. Andromeda didn't know where to start. Apparently, Amycus Carrow did. She scowled in disgust as she watched him shovel ample amounts of food into his wide, open mouth, grease and pumpkin juice dripping off his chin. It was enough to make her feel sick. On her left, Ursula was bragging to Rita about her family's holiday house in France, where she had been all summer. Andromeda rolled her eyes. Beside her, Rosella picked at her food with her fork, not eating anything.

"Rose, you haven't touched your potatoes," Andromeda informed her, trying to make her voice sound concerned.

"I'm not hungry," she whimpered and Andromeda noticed a few tears sliding down her pale cheek. She felt sorry for her.

Once the feast was over and the students were full and sated, Professor Dumbledore took to the stand again and began listing off the notices for the coming year. He welcomed the first years warmly and introduced them to their Heads of House. Professor Slughorn, Potions Master, was Head of Slytherin House, and Andromeda was relieved it wasn't Professor McGonagall. Slughorn seemed amiable and considerate, unlike many of the other Professors. Then, Dumbledore bid them all goodnight.

Odette Rosier and Ralf Selwyn, Slytherin Prefects, ordered the first years to follow them out of the corridor. Rosella clung to Andromeda's arm nervously as they followed their Prefects down to their Common Room. The Slytherin Common Room was underground in the dungeons. They stopped behind the portrait guarding the entrance and Odette gave the password.

"Pureblood," she hissed and Andromeda snorted under her breath. The Common Room was under part of the Black Lake, which gave everything in the room an eerie, green tinge. There were a few black leather sofas arranged elegantly in front of a simmering fireplace, and dozens of portraits decorated the green and silver tapestries on the walls. Andromeda was quite impressed with the elegance of the room. The Prefects pointed the girls and boys to their separate dormitories and bid them adieu.

To Andromeda's surprise, her trunk was already resting on top of her four poster bed when she arrived in her dormitory. A Slytherin tie of green and silver, as well as a grey jumper with the Slytherin crest lay folded on her bed, in her exact size.

"They must have known I would be here," Andromeda told Rosella. Rose merely nodded and changed into her pyjamas. Both she, Ursula, Rita and Elsie were sound asleep by the time Andromeda slipped underneath the covers. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't get to sleep, and tossed and turned well into the early hours of the morning.

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_**A/N: I was doing some research about this era, and I discovered that Rita Skeeter was born around this time. I always imagined her as a Slytherin... it was just interesting. Please read and review, my lovelies xx**_


	5. Chapter Four

**_Sorry I haven't updated in a while. I hope you enjoy this next chapter! xx_**

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_Chapter Four_

The timetables for the first term were pinned up on the noticeboard when Andromeda woke the next morning. She and her fellow first years eagerly scanned the paper, wanting to know what their first class was. First up, they had Transfiguration with Gryffindor. Then, they had double Herbology with Hufflepuff. Andromeda could barely contain her disdain. Astronomy and Charms was with Ravenclaw, Defence Against the Dark Arts with Gryffindor and History of Magic was also with Hufflepuff. They also had combined Quidditch lessons with all the other houses every Wednesday afternoon. She had never felt so excited in her life. She was about to prove to her family that she was just as good as Bellatrix. She raced upstairs to change into her robes and hurried down to the Transfiguration classroom.

Professor McGonagall was waiting patiently at her desk, tapping her quill against the piece of parchment in front of her. Andromeda and Rosella took a seat near the front. Before leaving, she had promised her mother that she would try to excel in her studies. But it wasn't only her mother's pride that spurred Andromeda to learn and aim high. She wanted to prove to herself; that she was just as good, if not better, than her older sister and vowed to work as hard as possible to achieve her goal.

More and more students began to file into the classroom and take their seats. The hum of chatter filled the room until Professor McGonagall straightened up and rapped her wand on her desk.

"Silence, please," she said curtly, peering down at her students in a disapproving manner. Andromeda sat up straight, her eyes trained on her teacher as though she was about to spill words of wisdom. In fact, the whole class was buzzing silently with excitement at the prospect of casting magic.

The lesson went rather smoothly. Andromeda was extremely dedicated and also, she discovered she was a fairly talented Transfiguration student. While the rest of the students in her class struggled with the simple task of transfiguring a pin into a paperclip, Andromeda succeeded on the second attempt. Professor McGonagall commended her efforts and Andromeda left class feeling proud and motivated. Her high spirits were elevated to beyond anything she had ever felt at home when she realised she was actually good at something. She practically sprinted to the Herbology Greenhouses, poor Rosella struggling to keep up with her. When she reached the greenhouses, she saw the Mudblood was there with a few of his fellow Hufflepuffs. He glanced up at her as she passed, and she kept her nose pointing in the air and flicked her hair proudly.

Rosella eventually caught up to her, slightly breathless at the effort of sprinting after her friend whilst carrying an arm full of books. The two of them entered the Herbology classroom and Professor Grubb, a short, fat man with dirt under his nails and straggly grey hair, greeted them all cheerfully. They were each partnered up and given an Abyssinian shrivelfig to work with. Andromeda stared at the strange, unknown plant. It was rounded with a stalk, and looked like an ordinary fig, except it was bright purple. Beside her, Rosella gaped at it with wide eyes and tentatively prodded it with her finger.

Professor Grubb instructed the students to begin peeling the shrivelfig. Andromeda was hesitant. She didn't approve of the dragon hide gloves; they were heavy and bulky and made her palms sweaty. And the fig smelt strange. Her nose crinkled in disgust. Summoning her courage, she probed the strange, purple fruit. It didn't budge, so she poked it again, this time with the scissors. Nothing happened. Confident that it wasn't about to spill purple fig juice all over her, Andromeda picked it up and began to peel. It wasn't as bad as she had thought and she smiled at herself in pride. As she did so, her finger slipped and the scissors pierced the skin of the fig. A jet of purple liquid spurted out of the fruit and hit Andromeda in the face. She squealed in horror and dropped the fig, causing it to squirt another stream of juice onto her white blouse.

Some of the Slytherin boys were laughing at her. There was a horrid, sour taste in her mouth and her face felt sticky. Tears welled in her eyes and she rushed out of the greenhouse, leaving her books behind her. Never had she felt so humiliated. She hurried down to the nearest girl's bathroom and surveyed the damage. Her face was completely purple. There were splatters of it in her hair and on her blouse. More and more tears streamed down her face as she sobbed hysterically and began to wash the purple residue off her skin. She scrubbed furiously, until every inch of her skin was back to its normal, pale hue. But her blouse was ruined. She cursed loudly, wishing she knew more spells and slumped out of the bathroom, rubbing her eyes.

There, leaning against the wall was Ted, the Mudblood. He stood up straight when he saw her and handed over her book bag. Andromeda stilled for a moment, her eyes flicking from his warm, hazel ones to her bag dangling from his fingertips. He sighed and ran a hand through his sandy hair.

"It's alright," he assured her, confused by her reaction. "I didn't do anything to it."

Andromeda snatched it from him and slung it over her shoulder, refusing to look at him.

"Are you alright?" he asked her, reaching out to touch her hand. She jerked it back and stared at him with wide eyes. He frowned at her.

"What is your problem?" he asked, sounding irritated. "I come out here to help you and treat me like I'm some sort of vermin!" He threw his hands up in the air and turned sharply on his heel. "Forget it!"

Andromeda watched incredulously as he stormed away. For some unknown reason, she felt an urge to call out to him. But her mother's words echoed in the back of her mind and she stayed put and watched his retreating figure head back inside the Greenhouse. Once he was out of sight, Andromeda slumped against the wall and hugged her knees. She felt mean. The Mudblood boy had only tried to help her and she had disregarded him like he was a House Elf. She was struck with the horrid realisation that she was turning into Bellatrix. The very thought left her mortified. She had always assured herself that she was nothing like her older sister; she was kinder, smarter and had some form of moral compass. Now, she wasn't so sure. Guilt ate away at her until she had no choice but to return to her Herbology class and face the ridicule the Slytherin boys had in stall for her.

Ursula sniggered when she entered and nudged some of the Slytherin boys, making Andromeda flush in embarrassment. She took her seat next to Rosella, who eyed her with pity and continued on with peeling another shrivelfig. All through the lesson, her eyes flicked across the room to where Ted was busy at work. He must have felt her gaze for he look up briefly and they locked eyes for just a moment. Andromeda couldn't believe how warm they looked; almost gold in the light from the greenhouse. He hastily broke the contact and resumed his work, but Andromeda couldn't concentrate. There was a persistent voice in the back of her head urging her to apologise.

Once class was over, Andromeda decided what she was going to do. She told Rose to go along without her and confidently approached Ted. He was walking with three Hufflepuff boys that she didn't recognise and halted when he saw her coming towards him. He gave his friends a nod and they continued walking.

"If you're here to apologise – " he began heatedly but stopped when he saw Andromeda's face. She knew she was breaking every one of her mother's rules, but she had to apologise. She would be consumed with guilt otherwise. He was only trying to help her, after all.

"I'm sorry for the way I acted," she said sincerely. "But I can't see you or talk to you ever again."

He raised his eyebrows and fixed her with a confused expression. "Why?"

She cursed inwardly. _Stupid Hufflepuffs,_ _always so nosy and impertinent._ "Just because," she told him firmly. As she turned on her heel she heard him laugh.

"Well, when you figure out a reason, let me know. See ya around, Andy."

Andromeda whipped around to retort back but he was already running down the hall. A smile curled at her lips as she headed back down to the Common Room. Rosella seemed to notice but she merely shrugged and headed up to her dormitory to change her blouse.

"That was quite a show, Black," drawled the monotonous voice of Ursula Parkinson. She was leaning against the doorframe smugly, tapping her wand against her thigh. Andromeda rolled her eyes as she re-tied her Slytherin tie.

"What do you want, Ursula?" Andromeda replied in a bored tone. She was used to dealing with insults; Bellatrix had taunted her at least three times a day. She adopted the same expression she used for her older sister and arched on eyebrow.

Ursula merely cackled. "Oh, nothing, just wanted to see how you handled the humiliation."

"Well, if you expected to find me crying my eyes out in my room, you'll be disappointed. Don't you have some other first year to bully? A Ravenclaw, perhaps?"

"Hah, great idea, Black. I'll see you around." She left the dormitory with a flick of her short, black hair and Andromeda scowled after her. She had only known Ursula Parkinson for a day and she already disliked her. Andromeda decided that she needed to get out of there and get some fresh air. She reached for her book and threw her cloak around her shoulders and disappeared out of the Dungeons. Pushing past the crowd of fifth years on their way to Potions, Andromeda finally made her way out into the courtyard. For some reason, she wanted to go to the Black Lake and sit for a while, soaking up the fresh, autumn breeze and reading her book away from prying eyes. As she walked by a few students playing Gobstones on the pavement, she heard her name being called.

"Andy! Hey, Andy!"

She groaned. Only one person would call her by that name. She turned around to find the one and only, Ted Tonks, hurrying towards her. His shaggy, sandy hair was windswept when he stopped in front of her and his yellow and black tie askew. She eyed him suspiciously.

"What do you want, Tonks?" she asked through gritted teeth. This wasn't supposed to be happening. She couldn't be seen talking to him – a Mudblood – in public. Her eyes quickly scanned for any passersby, but everyone seemed too absorbed in their Gobstones game to notice.

"If looks could kill," he chuckled heartily, and Andromeda was astounded by the pure joy and happiness that flowed out of the boy every time she saw him. He was the personification of light. It frustrated her that he was so amiable; if he had been horrid, at least she not feel so guilty about being rude to him. As much as she tried to deny it, she had a strange liking for this boy. But he was a Mudblood.

"I really ought to be going," she said brusquely, tucking her book under her arm and began to walk. She froze suddenly, when she felt his familiar, warm hand on her arm. Ted noticed her reaction, but didn't let go. She turned to face him, her eyes wide with terror. He stepped closer to her and frowned in confusion, his fair eyebrows furrowing.

"Why do you do that?" he asked softly and Andromeda couldn't look away from his warm, hazel eyes.

He stepped closer still and she eventually managed to wriggle out of his grip. "Don't," she pleaded. "We shouldn't be – someone could see us – "

"And that would be a bad thing because...?"

She shrugged him off and stormed away. "Leave me alone, Tonks." He jogged to keep up with her and pulled on her arm.

"Come on, Andy. What's the harm with being seen with me? Is it because you're some sort of high-class wizarding royalty and can't be seen associating with us lowly, Muggle born commoners?" His voice was light with laughter.

"Bingo," she said dryly. Ted's face fell and his eyes grew solemn.

"Oh," he muttered, casting his eyes to the floor.

She hated seeing him so crestfallen. It was an expression that shouldn't be seen on the cheerful boy's face.

"You don't understand," she insisted. "If any one sees us..."

"So don't get caught," he winked at her, a mischievous grin on his face.

"Why are you so damn persistent?" she cried angrily, stopping her foot in frustration. Why couldn't he just leave her alone?

Ted waggled his golden eyebrows at her and gave her a cheeky grin. "I'm a Hufflepuff," he chortled. "And I kind of like you, Andromeda."

She rolled her eyes at him, but underneath her cool facade, she was thoroughly touched by his words.

"Well, you'd better stop liking me then," she demanded. "This," she pointed between herself and him, "can't happen, okay. We can't be friends."

Ted pleaded at her and it took every ounce of her strength to remain firm. "Come on, Andy. You know you like me too."

Her heart squeezed uncomfortably in her chest. "No," she said softly and narrowed her eyes. "I don't."

Finally, the boy seemed to understand. He pulled back and ran a hand through his hair. His face was completely solemn and Andromeda could see the hurt and betrayal shining in his eyes. It pained her to see it, but it was for the best.

"Alrighty, then," he muttered. "I'll just leave you alone then."

Ted turned on his heel and disappeared into the throng and Andromeda felt more guilty than ever. She felt tears spring up in her eyes and forced them back stubbornly as she made her way down to the Black Lake. Plopping down against a tree, she drew up her knees and hugged them tightly to her chest. All thoughts of reading had been cast from her mind, and she gazed out at the black, glassy lake, tears sliding down her pale cheeks. She let them fall.

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_**A/N: To clarify any confusion, Andromeda does like Ted... sort of... she just knows that she can't associate with him because he's a Mudblood. I hope you enjoyed! Please read and review! xx**_


	6. Chapter Five

**_Hello again! Another little chapter for you! I hope you are all enjoying reading this story. I'm certainly enjoying writing it! xx_**

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_Chapter Five_

Being the daughter of a well respected, high class Pureblood family meant that there were certain expectations of you. Of course, the rule of not speaking unless spoken to applied to children of all genders, but for Andromeda and her sisters, there were many things she was not allowed to do. One was acting in an unladylike fashion. Her father, who was even stricter than her mother, had restricted his daughters to inside play only. The only time Andromeda ever ventured outside was to pick the roses that grew in her mother's garden. And even then, she had to wear gloves.

One would think that a Pureblood witch would be fairly competent on a broom. However, due to Andromeda being forbidden to even attempt such an unladylike activity, she had low hopes of being successful. Her and her fellow Slytherins trudged down to the Quidditch Pitch. Andromeda stuck with Rosella, being the only one of her Housemates who was actually likeable. Behind her, Montague, Travers, Carrow and Yaxley were placing bets with each other about who was the better flier, while Ursula and Elsie were gossiping about how cute they thought Montague was.

"My father was Slytherin Captain when he was at school," Yaxley bragged proudly, flicking his long, blonde ponytail and puffing up his chest like an arrogant peacock. "I'm bound to be a natural."

Andromeda rolled her eyes at them. "You'd think his father played for England the way he's carrying on," she whispered in Rosella's ear, who giggled softly.

The Quidditch pitch was crowded with first year students from all Houses on that fine, Wednesday afternoon. All of them had identical looks of excitement on their faces, eager to learn how to fly.

Madam Hooch, a young woman with spiky brown hair and yellow, catlike eyes, blew loudly on her whistle and ordered the first years to line up beside a broomstick. To Andromeda's annoyance, Ted was standing opposite her. She glanced at him, but he didn't seem to notice her, which made her angry. She frowned and hurriedly looked away.

"Good afternoon class."

"Good afternoon, Madame Hooch," the students sang, eager to begin their lesson.

"Welcome to your first flying lesson," Madame Hooch continued sharply, her catlike eyes scanning her students suspiciously. "Let's get right into it shall we? Everyone step up to the left side of their broomstick."

Andromeda did as she was told. A part of her was feeling extremely nervous. She had never even held a broomstick before, let alone flown on one. The last thing she wanted was to make a fool of herself, especially in front of Ursula and the rest of her Housemates.

"Place your right hand over the broom and say, 'up!'" Madame Hooch instructed. Andromeda swallowed and obeyed.

"Up!" she said firmly. Nothing happened. Across from her, Ted was firmly grasping his broomstick in his right hand, looking extremely shocked and pleased with himself. Andromeda frowned. How could a Mudblood excel in something before she did? With a new found determination, Andromeda shouted more forcefully at her broomstick and after a few more attempts, it finally shot up off the ground and she grasped it firmly. She grinned at her achievement and looked across at Ted, to gauge his reaction. Again, he didn't seem to notice her.

Frustrated, her eyes travelled down the line to see Yaxley struggling to control his broomstick. It was flailing about on the ground in distress and no matter how hard he screamed at it, it wouldn't rise off the ground. Andromeda smirked in satisfaction. She was surprised to see Rosella holding her broomstick in a firm grasp. She didn't picture Rose as the outdoors type, but perhaps she was mistaken.

"Now," said Madame Hooch. "If you don't have a hold of your broom, pick it up off the ground and listen to me closely. Mount your broom and keep a tight grip; we don't want you sliding off the end. When I blow my whistle, I want each of you to kick off from the ground hard. Keep your brooms steady, hover for a moment, then lean forward slightly and touch back down. Ready?" she glanced up and down the line and the first years nodded excitedly. "Right, on my whistle, three, two, one..."

She blew her whistle loud and clear and Andromeda closed her eyes tight as she kicked off the ground. It was the most terrifying experience of her life. The wind rocked her from side to side and it took every shred of pride and will power not to scream. Her hands gripped the broomstick so tightly that her knuckles turned white. She took a deep breath and glanced over at Ted, who was sitting up on his broomstick with glee, only holding on with one hand. He pumped his fist in the air and whooped loudly, causing Madame Hooch to scold him. Andromeda glowered at him as she tried to maintain her balance. Even Rosella seemed to be a natural, not looking the slightest bit shaken by the experience. Andromeda came to the conclusion that she would never be comfortable outside.

The remainder of the lesson followed the same pattern. Each time, Madame Hooch encouraged the students to try and hover a little bit higher and see if they could maintain their balance for a few minutes. Ted was a natural, which Andromeda found surprising and frustrating. He was leagues in front of Yaxley; who, despite his dad's Quidditch prowess, struggled to stay on his broom for more than ten seconds. But Rose was the greatest surprise of all. She looked extremely comfortable in the air, much more so than she did on the ground. Andromeda felt a surge of pride for her friend.

When their lesson was over, Andromeda and Rosella headed back to their Common Room.

"You were brilliant, Rose!" she gushed. Rose blushed with pride and lowered her eyes humbly.

"Thanks. You weren't so bad, yourself, Meda.

Andromeda laughed. "It was the most terrifying thing I've ever done and I will never do it again."

At this, it was Rose's turn to laugh and they linked their arms together as the two of them left the Quidditch pitch.

One their way down to the dungeons, she saw a familiar face heading out of the Potions classroom. He was arm in arm with a short, plump girl with rosy cheeks and fluffy red hair. When he looked up he froze, his freckled face fell and he hastily looked away, his glasses slightly sliding down the bridge of his long nose. Andromeda sighed sadly. It was her cousin, Arthur Weasley. She didn't know much about him, except that he was the youngest son of Aunt Cedrella and Uncle Septimus and he was a year older than Bellatrix.

Cedrella Black was her father's aunt who had been burnt off the family tree because she ran off with Septimus Weasley, a well known blood traitor. She had disgraced the Black family and for that, she had been cut off from her inheritance. Andromeda had never met her ostracised aunt and it was forbidden to mention her name in the house. She guessed that her unknown cousins were off limits too.

"Look at that little blood traitor," she heard her sister sneer in her ear. She turned to see Bellatrix eying Weasley with disdain, as though he was a cockroach or a piece of dirt. "How dare he show his stupid, Mudblood loving face around here."

Andromeda frowned. "Don't be rude, Bella," she scolded.

Bellatrix laughed scornfully. "Oh, please, Meda. It's not like he even matters anyway."

She went to retort when she was interrupted by the arrival of Alecto Carrow. She and Bellatrix hugged rather awkwardly; Andromeda had never seen her sister show anyone affection. The hero-worship she had for her father was the closest.

Andromeda didn't like Alecto. She was just as horrible as her younger brother, it seemed. Her orange, stringy hair hung tangled and loose around her face, as though it hadn't been brushed in a while. Compared to Bellatrix's natural raven ringlets, Alecto's hair resembled a bird's nest. She had a round face, small beady eyes and an upturned nose that gave the impression of a pig.

"I'll see you later, little sister," Bellatrix drawled as she and Alecto departed to the Great Hall, no doubt plotting the destruction of some poor, innocent bystander. Andromeda watched their retreating figures with a sigh and continued down to the Common Room with Rose. The dormitory was fairly empty, except for two fourth years playing wizards chess by the fireplace.

The two of them sat down on the sofa by the fire. She shrugged off her robes, loosened her Slytherin tie, took off her shoes and rested her sock clad feet on the small leather footstool. One thing she had to admit about Slytherin House; they certainly enjoyed luxury.

"You were brilliant today," she praised Rosella, who blushed a pretty shade of pink that stood out on her pale, porcelain skin. "Where on earth did you learn to fly like that?"

Rose gave a weak smile. "Well, sometimes when we visit our cousins, we have a family game in the backyard."

Andromeda scowled and picked at her fingernails. It was a habit her mother had desperately tried to force out of her, but whenever she was angry, distressed or bored, she would resort back. Of course, living in her miserable household, she was often those things most of the time.

"Lucky," she muttered darkly. "I've never been allowed."

Rosella gazed at her with wide, surprised eyes. "Never been allowed to fly? Why ever not?"

"My father doesn't believe young ladies should participate in such a sport. He says that it's unladylike."

"That's... absurd," Rose said softly, obviously not wanting to offend Andromeda's family. Not that Andromeda minded; her family relationship had been on shaky ground for years. Bellatrix was the perfect child, and her and Narcissa were merely second rate. "I mean, there a dozens of great female Quidditch players. The entire Holyhead Harpies are women."

"I _know_ that," Andromeada groaned, sinking further into the couch. "But my father forbids it. Why do you think no girl from my family has ever made the Slytherin Quidditch Team?"

Rose reached over and patted her hand gently. "It's alright, I'm sure if you explain to your father, he'll let you try out for the Quidditch Team in a few years."

Andromeda barked a laugh. "I much prefer solid ground."

"Are you excited for Quidditch next Saturday?" Rose asked. "It's the first game of the season; Slytherin versus Gryffindor!"

"I know!" Andromeda trilled excitedly. "It should be good fun. I've never been to a Quidditch match before."

Rose gaped at her. "Really? I went to the World Cup a few years ago. It was incredible."

"Wow!" she exclaimed, impressed. "Who was playing?"

"France and England. France won. I was only five at the time."

Andromeda beamed. "You are so lucky. Hopefully Slytherin win on Saturday."

Rose nodded. "I hope so too."

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_**A/N: This was a little shorter than my previous chapters, but I thought it was necessary. Please drop in a review before you leave to tell me what you think xx**_


	7. Chapter Six

**_I can't believe how many reviews this story has gotten so far! I never expected it to get _any_ let alone 17! Thank you all so much, guys! Hope you enjoy this next chapter :)_**

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_Chapter Six_

As September became October, a cold chill spread through the school and wafted over the grounds. Andromeda and Rose mainly kept to the library, for it was often raining. Their workload had increased dramatically over the next few weeks and she was struggling to keep up. She had already decided that History of Magic was a pointless subject, and it took all of her will power not to fall asleep in class. Professor Binns had a dull voice and his constant droning on about giants and goblins did nothing for her concentration.

They sat in the library one Sunday afternoon, on the eve of Halloween, when Andromeda heard a distinct shout break through the silence of the library. A few heads perked up at the sound, but most resumed their studying, too busy to care for what was happening. Andromeda, however, sensed distress, and she excused herself from the table, telling Rose that she needed to use the bathroom. Gripping her wand tightly, she followed the sound until she arrived at a broom cupboard. There were people in there, and it sounded as though they were hitting something.

Taking a deep breath, Andromeda roughly pushed open the door and gasped at what she saw. Three burly third years, Slytherins by the colour of their ties, were beating a poor boy mercilessly against the wall. It was dark in the cupboard and Andromeda couldn't recognise the boy, but she knew instantly that she had to do something. She couldn't allow those third years to beat up someone. Summoning her strength, she pushed her way in front of the boy and glared up at the bullies.

"Stop this!" she screamed at them.

One of the boys laughed and nudged his friend. "Aw, this little girl has come to help the wittle Mudblood," he drawled cruelly. "Move it, midget, or you'll be next!"

Andromeda put her hands on her hips and drew to her full height, which was a head shorter than the bullies.

"Don't you dare touch me," she threatened darkly. "I am Andromeda Black, and if you lay one finger on me, or this boy, then I will tell my sister. And she won't be happy."

The bully's eyes widened at the mention of Andromeda's name and she felt a little proud. They had obviously heard of Bellatrix and were frightened of her.

"So sorry, Andromeda," he apologised quickly. "We didn't know it was you."

They scampered out of the broom cupboard and hurried down the corridor as fast as they could. Andromeda glowered after them and then turned her attention to the boy. His face was badly bruised and bloodied and his robes were askew. She knelt beside his face and brushed some of his sandy hair away, to expose his swollen eye. It was then, she recognised who it was. It was Ted Tonks.

He opened his good eye slowly and focused on her face for a moment. Andromeda withdrew her hand and bit her lip. She knew the kind of people who would beat up such an innocent, cheerful boy just because he was a Mudblood. It was something Bellatrix would do.

"Are you alright?" she asked him, gently, and he hastily pulled away from her and backed up against the wall. For a second, she thought he was frightened of her, but as she came closer, she saw his eyes were filled with hurt and anger.

"Merlin, Tonks! You could at least answer me. I did just save your life!" she huffed angrily and scowled at him.

"Thank you," he muttered reluctantly, keeping his distance. Andromeda sighed and held out her hand. Ted stared at it blankly.

"Come on," she assured him brusquely. "We need to get you to the hospital wing."

He reluctantly took her hand and she tried not to focus on the fact that she was touching Mudblood skin. She hauled him to his feet and helped him out of the broom cupboard. The two of them hobbled towards the hospital wing.

"Why did you do that?" Ted asked as they walked.

She paused for a moment. Honestly, she didn't exactly know. Ted was a Mudblood after all. But despite her family's prejudice and all that she had been taught growing up, she couldn't let him be beaten up by a group of thugs. He was still a human and had feelings, and the moral part of her pitied him.

"I don't know," she admitted.

He didn't say anything until they arrived at the hospital wing. Madam Pomfrey let him take a bed and began attending to his face, muttering under her breath about students and discipline. Andromeda sat by his side, grimacing as he winced in pain when the matron smeared orange ointment over his bruised eye and cheek. Once she was done, Madam Pomfrey quickly checked his chest and ribs for any damage before handing him a tube of the ointment.

"Put this on your face twice a day and it should be gone in a few days," she advised him. "And take care of yourself, Mr Tonks."

Ted nodded and reached up to touch his cheek gingerly. "Thanks, Madam Pomfrey," he said as he got up to leave. Andromeda followed him out, suddenly very confused. She kept her eyes on the Hufflepuff boy and felt a strange urge to protect him. It came out of nowhere and frightened her. She shouldn't even be seen with a Mudblood, let alone have any kind of feelings for him. If Bellatrix found out...

"Why are you still here?" Ted asked her suddenly.

Andromeda was caught by surprise, momentarily forgetting that she was walking with Ted. She shook her head of her chaotic thoughts and shrugged her shoulders.

"I don't know. I guess I just want to make sure you're okay."

Ted snorted. "I don't need a bodyguard. Especially not one like you."

"What's _that_ supposed to mean?" Andromeda retorted angrily, scowling at him.

"You're a Pureblood, just like them. You'd probably hand me over to them."

Andromeda gasped at the insult. "How dare you compare me to those thugs!" she shrilled. "I would never do something like that!"

Her blood bubbling with rage, she whipped around and headed back to the library where Rose was waiting for her, flipping her thick, mahogany hair as she did so. It wasn't long before she heard footsteps hurrying behind her and Ted caught up to her.

"Wait," he said, and she turned to face him, throwing him an icy glare. He swallowed and stuffed his hands into his robes. "I'm sorry. That was mean. I know you'd never do something like that."

His sincerity humbled Andromeda and she nodded slowly. "It's okay. I understand why you don't trust me. I haven't been very nice to you these past few weeks."

He laughed suddenly. "Wow, you're actually apologising," he exclaimed cheekily. "I thought you were too high and mighty to socialise with someone like me."

She frowned. "I _can't _socialise with someone like you."

Again, Ted merely laughed, making Andromeda furious. How could he laugh when he had just been beaten up by a bunch of third years because he was a Mudblood?

"Then explain what this is, Andy?" he sniggered, waving his arms around the corridor dramatically.

Andromeda grimaced at the horrid nickname for her and quickly cast her eyes around the empty corridor, searching for passers-by. "Don't call me that," she scolded him. "And this isn't socialising. This is just trivial conversation between two people who shouldn't be seen together."

Ted waggled his fair eyebrows at her, his hazel eyes twinkling with amusement. "If I didn't know better, Black, I'd say you _like_ talking to me."

"Don't be absurd," she replied coolly. "How could I possibly enjoy talking to someone as impertinent as you?"

He took a step closer to her, testing her, but she remained firm. "Then how come you're still here?" he challenged.

She threw up her hands in frustration and stopped her foot. "Leave me alone, Tonks!" she cried and stormed off to the library, leaving him chuckling to himself in the corridor. Ted Tonks made her madder than Bellatrix sometimes. He tested her and questioned her Pureblood values, values that had been ingrained in her since she was born. She knew it was wrong, but she felt a strange connection to him, almost as though she considered him a friend. But that was impossible. She couldn't be friends with a Mudblood. The very thought was preposterous.

Rose noticed her bad mood as she slumped unceremoniously into the seat beside her and began flicking through her textbook at an alarming rate. She reached out and placed a tentative hand on her friend's arm and asked her what the matter was. Andromeda merely huffed and blew some of her hair out of her face.

"Nothing," she muttered bitterly. "Just a stupid Mudblood."

Rose nodded in sympathy and the two of them continued their work in silence. Finally, Andromeda's anger had subsided and she leaned back in her chair and stuck her quill behind her ear.

"I swear, if Merrythought gives us another three foot essay this week, I'm going to hex her."

"I'm sure that will work," Rose giggled lightly. "Especially since we are first years and don't know many spells."

Andromeda groaned at the sad truth. She glanced across at Rose's essay, which was almost complete before eyeing her only, half-finished essay sadly. Sometimes, she swore Rosella should have been a Ravenclaw. She was top of her year in every subject and all the teachers practically doted on her. If she was any other student, Andromeda would have loathed her. But as she was her friend, she felt a surge of pride.

Rose put down her quill gently and quickly scanned her essay. "I think that should do," she said finally, rolling it up and stuffing it into her book bag. "Are you going to finish yours?"

She shook her head. "I can't concentrate." It was the truth. Ever since her encounter with Ted Tonks, she had been unable to get him out of her head. She could clearly picture his hazel eyes and his incorrigible smirk as he teased her. For a moment, she thought that he was right; that she _did_ like talking to him. There was something about Tonks that made her feel daring. It gave her a thrill to know that she was defying every single one of her mother's rules just by being in the same room as him. Druella's disappointed face flashed before her eyes and she smirked. Perhaps it was time to have a little fun.

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_**A/N: This was an important turning point in Andromeda's life. As you can see, she's starting to warm up to Ted, something that thrills her and frightens her at the same time. Please read and review! They make me so happy :) xx**_


	8. Chapter Seven

**_The chapter where everything changes :) Please continuing to read this story. _**

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_Chapter Seven_

It was a crisp, Wednesday afternoon when Andromeda's entire view on life changed. She was sitting out in the Transfiguration courtyard alone, for Rose had been called on by Professor Slughorn to run some errands for him. The slight wind blew about her face and she picked a lock of hair out from between her lips and brushed her tresses away from her eyes.

With all of her homework complete, she decided to take up her favourite activity to pass the time; reading. She lay down on her stomach, crossing her ankles and began to read her book. Every now and then, she would look up and study the other students. Two sixth years were entwined one a bench, snogging vigorously, much to Andromeda's disgust. A group of fifth year Ravenclaws were sitting cross-legged in a circle, studying for their OWL exams at the end of the year. An intense game of Exploding Snap was taking place not far from her; one of the Gryffindors jumped when his cards exploded and Andromeda chuckled at his reaction.

Suddenly, her view was obscured by a tanned face. Andromeda recoiled slightly and frowned as she tried to focus on the face in front of her. To her annoyance, she realised it was Ted. He grinned at her and sat down next to her, making her itch with frustration. She sat up and snapped her book shut.

"What do you want, Tonks?" she asked, irritated.

"Oh, nothing," he hummed happily. "Just thought you might like some company."

She scowled. "Well, you thought wrong." She made to leave when Ted gripped her wrist and yanked her back down.

"Don't leave on my behalf," he told her, his eyes swimming with mischief. "Continue reading your book. You won't even know I'm here."

He began to whistle casually and Andromeda hastily glanced around to see if anyone had noticed them. But everyone in the courtyard seemed to be minding their own business.

"What are you doing? Do you want to get me in trouble?" she hissed at him.

"What? We're not _doing_ anything."

She rolled her eyes and pouted at him. "You know perfectly well what I mean. If anyone sees us, I'm dead." Bellatrix immediately came to her mind and she shuddered at what her older sister might do.

"Relax," Ted assured her. "No one's watching us. Don't get your knickers in a twist."

"I'm _not _getting my knickers in a twist," she shrilled. "And I would like you to leave."

Ted shook his head stubbornly. "No."

"Why not?"

He winked at her. "Because I like you, Andromeda. And no one can tell me who I can and cannot be friends with."

As much as she was touched by his words, she thought he was being awfully rash. "Bellatrix can. You're a... I can't..."

Ted took her hand and looked deep into her eyes, and for a moment, she forgot that he was a Mudblood.

"Be honest with yourself, Andy," he ignored her pained expression. "Listen to your heart and if then, you don't want to be friends with me, I'll leave you alone. But if you do, then we can get out of here and do whatever we want."

His offer was so tempting. She liked him very much; he made her feel happy and alive, something she hadn't felt in a long time. And he liked her for her; not because she was a Pureblood, or because of her family's wealth and status, or even because of her sister. Ted liked her for who she really was, and it was that fact that made up her mind.

"Alright, Tonks_,"_ she smirked. "Where do you propose we go?"

His warm hazel eyes danced mischievously and he pulled Andromeda by the hand. As they ran through the courtyard, Andromeda felt an exhilarating sense of freedom. It frightened her. She was a good daughter; always did as she was told, never questioned authority. Yet now, here she was, frolicking through the school with a Mudblood boy. Druella's face distorted in anger and disappointed flashed briefly through her mind. The motto of the Black family; _Toujours Pur,_ echoed in her head. _Always Pure_. But, then she heard Ted's joyous laughter and looked across at the boy, shining the brightest gold, and she tossed her mother's face aside.

Eventually, they reached the Black Lake. The water was black glass, and gently lapped at the edge. Andromeda glanced up at the looming turrets of Hogwarts behind her, casting its shadow on her and Ted. It was extremely calm by the lake; the only noise was the chirping of birds in the trees around them and the gentle lull of the lake.

"Well?" Ted turned to her for approval.

She nodded curtly. "Not bad, Tonks."

Andromeda set herself by a large tree and leant back against it. She stretched out her legs and opened her book and began to read. Ted, meanwhile, was scouring the rocky surface of the water's edge, searching for something. Andromeda glanced at him over the top of her book and saw he was holding a smooth, flat rock in his hand. He tossed it in his hand a few times, before launching the rock across the lake. It hit the glassy surface with a _splash_ and skipped three or so times before finally plummeting into the water. Ted grinned and went to retrieve another rock, when he caught Andromeda staring at him.

"Ever skipped rocks before?" he asked her as he found another rock and skipped it in haste.

"No. I've never really been outside much," she said in a bored tone, fingering the edge of her book.

"Really?" Ted exclaimed in astonishment. "How come?"

Andromeda shrugged nonchalantly. "I don't fancy the outdoors."

Ted smirked. "Afraid to get your hands dirty?" he teased.

"Ladies don't get their hands dirty," she said haughtily, returning to her book. Ted, however, seemed to be enjoying this far too much.

"I bet you couldn't even skip this little rock," he taunted, grinning broadly. "You're too much of a _girl._"

Andromeda scowled. Her blood boiled. She wanted to prove him wrong, to show him that she could skip the rock far better than he could. But she was a lady, so she remained composed and unaffected.

"Maybe it's escaped your notice, but I _am_ a girl. I am perfectly allowed to act like one."

Ted laughed and skipped another rock, this one going much further than the other ones. "Oh, stop being so precious," he jibed. "Have a little fun."

"I am having fun," she insisted indignantly, suppressing the urge to snatch the rock from his fingers and smack that arrogant grin off his face.

"Whatever," he shrugged and continued to skip his rocks. Andromeda watched him enviously, wanting nothing more than to join him but too consumed with Black pride to do anything about it. She kept her nose in her book, although she didn't find it very enjoyable anymore. After watching Ted skip his one thousandth rock, Andromeda couldn't take it anymore. She was too overwhelmed by curiosity. Snapping her book shut, she stood up and approached Ted.

"So, how exactly do you skip rocks?" she asked humbly, her hands behind her back.

Ted grinned at her and handed her a rock.

"Watch and learn, Black."

She watched as he drew his arm back and threw the rock across the lake. "That's all there is to it."

Andromeda put on a determined face and ran her fingers over the rock. The surface was cold and smooth and fit snugly in the palm of her hand. She bit her lip and copied Ted's movement. The rock soared through the sky and hit the water with a dull thud, sinking to the bottom. Ted roared with laughter but Andromeda scowled.

"That was pitiful," she grumbled, sinking to the floor and playing with handfuls of rock and sand. Ted sat next to her and drew up his knees.

"Aww, it wasn't that bad," he said.

Andromeda raised her eyebrows at him and he swallowed uncomfortably. "Okay, it was terrible. But with a bit of practice you'll get the hang of it."

She smiled and lay back, staring up at the cloudless sky. Ted joined her and the two of them sat in silence, merely enjoying each other's company. Andromeda had never felt so at ease with another person before. She never would have guessed that hiding out with a Mudblood boy would be the happiest day of her life, and yet she had never felt more alive. He reached for her hand and she took it, and they remained like that for much longer than they should have, but it didn't matter because they were with each other.

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_**A/N: Ted is just so adorable! I love him so much. Please feel free to drop me a review :) xx**_


	9. Chapter Eight

**_I'm updating a little quicker now :) Please enjoy this next chapter xx_**

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_Chapter Eight_

Over the next few weeks, Ted and Andromeda were as thick as thieves. They did everything together; whether it was studying in the library or skipping rocks by the Black Lake. Ted, knowing Andromeda's love of reading, had asked his mother to send him a few of her novels. They were classics, he had told her, and Andromeda had taken them willingly. She loved every one of them; be they Fitzgerald, Hemmingway, Dickens, Austen or the Bronte sisters. She thrilled at the romances, the elegant courting and the scandals. It reminded her so much of her own world that it was almost unnerving.

In return for the books, Andromeda taught Ted how to play wizard's chess and gobstones. At first, Ted had thought they were absurd, particularly wizard's chess, but after some practice he finally got the hang of it and actually bested Andromeda on one particular afternoon in the library.

"And the Slytherin champion is taken down by the Hufflepuff!" he cheered as he collected Andromeda's destroyed King from the board. She rolled her eyes at him and pulled out her book, letting him bask in his glory.

"For a Hufflepuff, you're not a very humble winner," she teased as she flicked open to her marked page and began to read.

"I'm allowed to brag every once in a while," he said in a dignified voice. "It doesn't happen very often when I play chess with you."

Andromeda laughed coldly and glanced at him over the top of her book. "When you have nothing else to do all day, you become quite a professional," she replied dryly.

"I can see that," Ted laughed, amused, and packed up the chessboard. They had spent most of the morning trying to finish their charms essay, but after a few hours of boredom, had decided to play chess instead.

"Oh, _Mr Darcy!_" Andromeda gasped, and clutched the book to her chest. Ted chuckled at her dramatics.

"What's happened now?" he quipped, raising his eyebrow in amusement.

"He went and paid off that horrible Mr Wickham! And now Elizabeth loves him. Oh, it's just so romantic!" she cried, closing her eyes to savour the moment.

Ted rolled his eyes. "I can't believe you like those sappy books so much." He made a face and stuck out his tongue in disgust. Andromeda glowered at him and whacked him over the head with her book.

"They're not _sappy_," she said indignantly. "They're romantic." She ignored Ted's gagging and continued reading. Ted sat back and rested his feet against an opposite chair, tossing a crumpled piece of paper up to the ceiling and catching it again. Suddenly, Madame Pince, the librarian, came rushing over and rounded on Ted for having his feet on the chair. She scolded them both and threw them angrily out of the library,

"Good job, Tonks," Andromeda grumbled as she stormed out of the library.

"What?" Ted asked, jogging to catch up with her. "It's not my fault she's mental."

Andromeda ignored him. She was still angry at him for getting them kicked out of the library when all she wanted to do was read about Mr Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet. Ted put his hand on her shoulder and smirked at her.

"I know another place we can go," he whispered. His hazel eyes twinkled with mischief and Andromeda raised an eyebrow at him. Knowing Ted, it was probably a place they were forbidden to go.

"And what exactly is this place?" she asked warily.

Ted grinned cheekily. "Just wait and see." He pulled on her arm and the two of them headed down to the Great Hall. Ted led her down a staircase directly underneath and Andromeda squirmed uncomfortably. They passed a many groups of students; all of them Hufflepuffs and suddenly, it occurred to Andromeda exactly where they were. She stopped and stared at Ted incredulously.

"Ted, this is the way to the Hufflepuff Common Room!"

He nodded. "I know."

Andromeda played with the end of her long braid nervously, tugging on the thin, green ribbon wrapped around the end. "I can't go in there! I'm a Slytherin!" she gasped in horror, imagining the look on the students' faces if they saw a Slytherin inside their Common Room.

Ted laughed and pulled Andromeda's hand away from her hair. "We're not going to the Hufflepuff Common Room."

"Then where are we going?"

Again, Ted grinned his secretive grin, as though he knew something Andromeda didn't. She wanted to hit him with her book again but fought against the urge.

"It's a surprise," he winked at her. "Now, come on." Andromeda reluctantly followed. They was in the basement, she realised. _What on earth could be so special in the basement, _she wondered as she followed Ted. She thought about her basement at home; it was dark and dusty and covered in cobwebs. She had only been down there once, because Bellatrix had stolen Narcissa's teddy and thrown it down there as some sort of sick joke. Of course, Cissy had been too frightened to retrieve it, so Andromeda went. She had never been down there since.

The Hogwarts basement was much cleaner, Andromeda noticed. Small lanterns hung along the walls and there were tapestries and portraits interspersed between them. It glowed a dim, musty yellow, and Andromeda felt as though she was underground. She made a mental note to ask Ted what the Hufflepuff Common Room was like as he stopped in front of a large portrait of a bowl of fruit.

"Here it is," he announced triumphantly. Andromeda pouted and folded her arms.

"You dragged me down here to see a bowl of fruit?"

Ted shook his sandy hair. "No, it's what is underneath this bowl of fruit." When Andromeda continued to gaze at him questioningly, he sighed and pulled her forward. "Tickle the pear."

Andromeda did a double take. "Excuse me?"

"Tickle the pear. Go on, it won't hurt you."

Thinking her best friend was a lunatic, Andromeda sighed and reached forward with her finger. The pear squirmed under her touch and giggled, much to her astonishment, and suddenly, it transformed into a large, green doorknob. She jumped away in fright and Ted chuckled at her.

"Open the door," he prompted gently. Andromeda did so and gasped at what lay behind the portrait. It was an enormous, high ceilinged room, as large as the Great Hall above it, with mounds of glittering brass pots and pans heaped around the stone walls and a great brick fireplace at the other end. All around, hundreds of House Elves scurried about, all uniformly dressed in a tea-towel toga emblazoned with the Hogwarts Crest and upon seeing the two first years, stopped what they were doing and bowed low in front of them.

"Master Tonks!" they chorused in high, squeaky voices. "And Master Tonks' lady."

Andromeda had never seen so many House Elves before. Her family had Quigley, and Aunt Walburga had Kreacher. It was common for large, Pureblood households to have a House Elf, but she had never imagined that House Elves were employed at Hogwarts.

Ted beamed down at the little creatures. "This is Andromeda Black."

It seemed that even the House Elves knew about the Black family, for they all bowed low in front of her. One little House Elf bravely approached her and curtsied.

"Would Miss Black like anything to eat? Beezy would be honoured to get Miss Black whatever she desires."

Andromeda smiled and glanced at Ted, who nodded his head. "A nice mug of hot chocolate would be lovely," she said politely.

"Of course, Miss Black," Beezy bowed again and then turned to Ted. "And for Master Tonks?"

"A cottage pie and a glass of pumpkin juice, please Beezy," he said cheerfully.

Beezy bowed again and two House Elves brought up stools for Andromeda and Ted to sit on. Andromeda shook her head at Ted and smirked.

"Theodore Tonks, you have outdone yourself again."

He grinned, looking extremely pleased with himself. "Isn't it great, Dromeda? They do everything for you! Whatever I want! I feel like a king."

Andromeda smiled sadly. Ted noticed and frowned at her.

"I have a House Elf," she answered his questioning gaze. "All Pureblood families have them."

Ted frowned, looking a little disappointed. Andromeda felt bad for him; he had obviously tried to impress her.

"So, I guess you get to feel like royalty all the time," he muttered

She nodded just as Beezy returned and handed her a steaming mug of hot chocolate. She sipped it sadly and kept looking across at Ted. He didn't seem to be enjoying his pie half as much as he should have been. They sat in silence.

"How did you find out about this place, anyhow?" she asked kindly, trying to diffuse the tension between them.

Ted shrugged nonchalantly. "Sheldon showed me. His older brother knows about this place. All Hufflepuffs do."

"Wow," Andromeda smiled. "So that's why Hufflepuffs look so cheery all the time. They get to sneak down here for a midnight snack every night." She chuckled at her own joke, but Ted didn't seem to find it amusing. With a heavy sigh, she reached out and patted his knee. "I'm sorry for ruining your surprise, Ted, but I can't help who I am."

He finally looked up at her and smiled weakly, some of the light returning to his hazel eyes. "I know," he assured her. "I guess I'm just a little jealous of you. You're so lucky to have everything given to you."

Andromeda scoffed. "It's not that great," she told him. "Being a Black has its disadvantages."

"Like what?" Ted snorted dryly.

Andromeda sat back and took another sip of her hot chocolate. "You don't understand. Growing up, I've always had certain expectations to uphold. I have to be a proper lady and act a certain way around every one to keep up that snobby, Pureblood reputation. People judge me because of my name, my blood status, my family's position. But no one knows the real me. They're afraid of me, and show me respect, but no one has ever been willing to get to know the real Andromeda Black that's hidden behind the wealth and aristocracy." She looked away from Ted and drew her knees up to her chest. "I've never had any real friends."

Ted reached for her hand and squeezed it gently. "I'm your real friend, Dromeda" he insisted, smiling warmly at her. "And I've met the real Andromeda Black. She's prissy, girly and afraid to get her hands dirty," he chuckled and Andromeda glowered at him. "But she's also the best friend I've ever had."

That warm, fuzzy feeling returned to her stomach. She gave Ted a radiant smile. "I like it when you call me that," she blushed.

"What?"

"Dromeda. I like it. It's better than Andy, anyway."

Ted chuckled and leaned back in his chair. Andromeda continued to sip her hot chocolate, struck with a sudden curiosity to find out more about Ted's home life.

"So, what do your parents do?" she asked, running her finger around the rim of her mug.

"My dad's a carpenter," he said proudly. "I used to go onto some of his work sites. He called it 'father-son bonding'. It was pretty fun."

Hearing Ted talk so lovingly about his father made Andromeda jealous. She wished for a loving relationship with her parents. It wasn't fair that a Muggle born had parents who loved and cared for him, whereas hers didn't care if she existed.

"That's wonderful," she growled through gritted teeth.

He frowned when he noticed her expression. "What's wrong?" he asked her.

"You're lucky," she muttered darkly, casting her eyes at the floor. "You have a father who actually cares about you. Mine hates me."

Again, Ted reached out and patted her knee gently, flashing her a small, assuring smile. "I'm sure that's not true."

Andromeda was grateful for the reassurance, but she knew he was wrong. Bellatrix was the perfect daughter; she could do no wrong in her father's eyes. And he tolerated Narcissa, for her mother's sake. But Andromeda was different; he didn't care for her at all. She felt tears well in her eyes and sniffed them back, refusing to show weakness in front of Ted.

"You don't know my father," she told him. Ted squeezed her hand firmly and the two of them sat in silence for a while, simply enjoying each other's company. It felt good to get her anger at her father off her chest; she had kept it bottled up inside her for years. And Ted was a great listener. Andromeda didn't care what her mother said; Ted was different. He was the greatest friend she could ever have asked for. If her mother could see her; she would probably throw Andromeda into an asylum, or at least lock her in her room all summer as penance. But her mother wasn't here; it was only her and Ted; and so she decided that she was going to enjoy this freedom for as long as possible.

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_**A/N: Yay! Andy and Ted are best friends! I love their friendship! It's so pure and cute. Also, if you noticed, Andy refers to Ted as a Muggle born now instead of a Mudblood - a subtle sign of how she's slowly changing. **_

_**Please let me know your thoughts and review :) xx**_


	10. Chapter Nine

**_Thank you to everyone who has supported this story :) Please keep reading! xx_**

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_Chapter Nine_

"Ready to see Slytherin get slaughtered?" Ted teased, ruffling his yellow and black Hufflepuff scarf in Andromeda's face. She scowled and shoved him playfully.

"You wish, Tonks."

He merely chuckled heartily and threw his scarf over his shoulder proudly. "You just wait, Black. Isaac Hewitt is the best Chaser in the league by far!"

Andromeda rolled her eyes. "It won't matter how many goals your precious _Hewitt_ scores, Selwyn will catch the Snitch before Fawley even has a chance to blink!"

Ted snorted and threw his head back in laughter. The two of them headed down to the Quidditch pitch, looking quite the odd pair. Andromeda, all green and silver, looked a little dreary compared to the bright yellow of her companion's scarf. But she wore her House colours proudly, her nose pointed haughtily in the air as was expected of those with Slytherin blood.

It was the seventh Quidditch match of the season; Slytherin versus Hufflepuff, and Andromeda had no worries whatsoever about her team. Slytherin had walloped Ravenclaw in the previous match and had proven their prowess against Gryffindor's power house team; only losing by twenty before Sturgis Podmore had caught the Snitch to seal Gryffindor's victory. Andromeda knew the badgers wouldn't stand a chance. Yet, Ted had insisted on betting her three sickles on the outcome of the match.

"Better have those sickles on hand, Tonks," she taunted, flicking her mahogany hair. Ted didn't have time to retort back, because the pale figure of Rosella Avery came rushing towards them.

"Meda!" she cried, spitting strands of blonde hair out of her mouth as she approached them. "We'd better go it we want to get good seats!" Rose's eyes flicked to Ted, who smiled jovially. She didn't return the gesture.

Andromeda nodded. "Coming, Rose," she said before turning to Ted. "See you after the match?"

Ted grinned. "Be ready with those sickles, Dromeda."

Rolling her eyes, she went to join Rose, who was dressed similarly in her Slytherin scarf and a grey beanie over her blonde hair. She smiled at her, but Andromeda frowned.

"You could actually acknowledge Ted's presence, you know," she scolded as the two of them made their way to the Slytherin end of the stands.

Rose shook her head, her blue eyes emotionless. "Just because I tolerate your... _relationship_ with that Mudblood, doesn't mean I agree with it."

Andromeda sighed. "Could you not use that word? It's vulgar."

"Fine," Rose huffed. "Come on, there's a few spots over there."

She took Andromeda by the hand and pulled her over to where Bellatrix and her friends were standing. The older girl looked up from under her tangle of raven curls and waved her younger sister over. Andromeda followed Rose reluctantly, not feeling in the mood to socialise with her sister. But it seemed she had no choice. Ophelia Burke and Alecto Carrow were present, much to Andromeda's disappointment. If she thought Bellatrix was horrid, she was a bright ray of sunshine compared to her two friends. Alecto's face still looked squished, much like her younger brother's, Andromeda noticed with distaste – perhaps their mother had dropped them at birth. Andromeda wouldn't have blamed the poor woman – Alecto and Amycus were vile. Ophelia was pleasant looking; but her height made her seem intimidating and she constantly wore a sneer upon her face that frightened most people away. The two girls glanced over Andromeda and Rose slowly, inspecting them like they were jewellery in a store window and not two first year students.

"Ah, Meda, is this your friend you were telling me about?" Bellatrix demanded curtly, fixing her cold, grey eyes on poor Rose. Rose shrunk under the harsh glare and Andromeda reached down to give her hand a comforting squeeze.

"Yes, this is Rosella Avery," she told her sister. "Rose, this is my sister Bellatrix and her two friends, Ophelia Burke and Alecto Carrow."

Rose smiled at them weakly, nodding her head in respect. "Alecto? You must be Amycus' brother?"

Alecto snarled, showing a set of disgusting, yellow teeth and barked a cruel laugh. "Know me brother, do yeh? 'E's a bit rough 'round the edges, that one. Swore 'e was dropped on the 'ead when 'e was born."

Rose laughed uncomfortably and flashed Andromeda a horrified look. She answered with another squeeze of her hand.

"This match is going to be a blood bath," Ophelia noted, matter-of-factly. "Hufflepuff lost to Ravenclaw, and we thrashed the knickers off them."

Bellatrix yawned dramatically and shook her head. "Oh, Ophelia, who cares about Hufflepuff? They are a waste of good, magical blood, that lot. Full of Mudbloods and blood traitors. They're worse than Gryffindor."

Andromeda felt her blood boil and gripped Rose's hand tighter, to keep from reaching for her wand. "That's not true," she said through gritted teeth. "There are plenty of Pureblood Hufflepuffs; the Abbotts, the Macmillans, the Bones' – the whole lot of them have been in Hufflepuff for centuries and _they're_ Pureblood."

Four sets of eyes turned on her; grey, black, brown and blue all in mirrored, wide-eyed expressions. Andromeda swallowed uncomfortably and cast her eyes to the ground, kicking at a few loose stones. Suddenly, Bellatrix burst out into loud, high-pitched laughter that made the hair on the back of Andromeda's neck stand on end.

"Hah! Those middle-class scum?" she cackled. "They aren't even worthy of the title, Pureblood! How dare you compare those blood traitors to _us;_ descendants of the most noble and ancient house of Black!"

Thinking it foolish to argue with her sister, Andromeda snapped her mouth shut and turned her attention to the Quidditch pitch below. The game was about to start and Madam Hooch had stepped out onto the field with the game balls. The commentator; a Ravenclaw by the name of Fawcett, began welcoming everyone to the match. It wasn't until he introduced the teams that Bellatrix stopped laughing and paid attention.

"First up we have Slytherin, being lead by Ralf Selwyn. And here comes the team; Selwyn, Malfoy, Rosier, Burke, Lestrange, Lestrange and Goyle!"

There was a roar of cheers from the Slytherin end as seven green blurs flew onto the pitch and took their positions. Next to them, Ophelia sighed dreamily.

"He's just so dreamy!" she stated, her black eyes glazing over slightly. Andromeda was surprised by such an emotion from the intimidating girl.

"Oh _please_," drawled Bellatrix rudely. "Ralf Selwyn is a pansy. If you ask me, Rodolphos is a much better object of affection."

Andromeda snorted into her scarf and bit back a smart remark about Bellatrix's apparent lack of interest in boy's, which she had declared before they departed to Hogwarts. She knew it was wiser to remain silent.

"And now we have Hufflepuff, lead by Isaac Hewitt," Fawcett continued into the megaphone. "Probably the best Chaser in the whole tournament and, according to many fifth year girls, the best looking player too. And the Hufflepuff team; Hewitt, Porter, Jarvis, McDougal, Wentworth, Nichols and Fawley!"

Seven yellow blurs zoomed out onto the pitch and joined the Slytherin team. Andromeda laughed at Fawcett's remark; although she would never admit it to her sister, Isaac Hewitt certainly was good looking. With his curly brown hair, dashing smile and dimples, it was no wonder he had thousands of girls chasing after him.

Madam Hooch first released the Bludgers and the Snitch, which instantly became invisible to everyone's eyes. Andromeda had a lot of respect for Seekers; how they managed to see such a tiny, fast ball she would never understand. Then, the Quaffle was released and the game began. Andromeda watched in anticipation as the two teams collided in the air, fighting for possession of the Quaffle.

"And Malfoy rises from the pack with the Quaffle," Fawcett remarks, making Andromeda focus in on the beautiful, blonde Chaser, currently speeding towards the Hufflepuff goals. Wilhelmina Malfoy was a sixth year that Andromeda had only seen in passing, but admired her brilliant Quidditch skill. If only her father could see how spectacular Wilhelmina was, perhaps _she _would be allowed to play Quidditch, even if she was a girl.

Wilhelmina narrowly avoided a Bludger from Clive Wentworth and passed to Nathaniel Burke, who fired the Quaffle towards the goals. Andromeda held her breath in anticipation and groaned loudly along with the rest of her House when Murray Nichols blocked the shot. The Quaffle was thrown into the hands of Susanna Jarvis, Hufflepuff Chaser, who quickly passed to Hewitt. He dodged the two Bludgers from the Lestrange brothers and Andromeda bit her lip as he prepared to score.

"AND HE SCORES!" roared Fawcett from the commentator's box. "TEN, ZERO, TO HUFFLEPUFF."

"Bloody Hewitt," Bellatrix cursed under her breath and a loud chorus of boos erupted from the Slytherins.

Hufflepuff scored three more times, resulting in louder cheering from the Hufflepuffs and louder cursing from the Slytherins. But, there was a sliver of hope when Rabastan Lestrange aimed a perfectly aligned Bludger at Hewitt's head, knocking him out cold and forcing the Quaffle into Odette Rosier's hands.

"SHE SHOOTS, SHE SCORES! TEN POINTS TO SLYTHERIN!"

With Hewitt completely out of the match, Slytherin were unstoppable. They gained a seventy point lead over the next ten minutes and Andromeda's voice was hoarse from cheering. Just when all hope for Hufflepuff was lost, the unbelievable happened. With all the commotion regarding the Chasers, Andromeda failed to notice Ralf Selwyn and James Fawley soaring down the side of the Quidditch pitch; neck and neck with each other. All of a sudden, Madam Hooch blew her whistle and Fawley rose up into the air, Snitch clutched proudly in his hand. The Hufflepuffs cheered and whooped loudly, rising up in the stands as the Slytherin team shamefully made their way off the pitch.

Andromeda's heart sank at her teams' loss, but it was nothing to how she felt about her defeat to Ted. She plunged her hand into her skirt pocket and her fingers touched the cold metal of the three sickles reluctantly. She followed the rest of her angry, disappointed Housemates out of the stands, listening to Bellatrix's string of obscene curses about 'filthy Mudbloods' and 'Hufflepuff scum'.

As she and Rose were heading back up to the castle, she heard her name being called. Turning around, she saw the proud, smug face of Ted grinning at her, his hand outstretched in anticipation.

"Hand it over, Black," he demanded, wiggling his fingers at her. Andromeda scowled and roughly thrust the three sickles into his palm, before turning away in a huff. But Ted, apparently, had more boasting to do. "Even without our superstar, we still beat you!"

Andromeda rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. "Only because of a lucky catch by Fawley. We were whipping you the entire time."

Ted brushed her aside with a wave of his hand. "Trivial detail, my friend. We still won, therefore, we are the better team!"

"Careful Tonks," she threatened darkly, narrowing her deep brown eyes. "Keep up that high and mighty attitude and people might think you're a Slytherin."

He grinned at her slyly and waggled his eyebrows. "We wouldn't want _that_, now would we?" he jibed, earning him a swat over the head with Andromeda's scarf.

"Oi, Tonks!" A small, skinny Hufflepuff bounded over to them, his House scarf flying out behind him madly. He came to a halt when he noticed Andromeda and she didn't miss the sly grin he gave Ted. "Who's this?" he asked, waggling his fair eyebrows.

"This is my best friend, Andromeda Black," Ted announced proudly. "Dromeda, this is Emmett Macmillan."

Emmett beamed at her and held out a skinny, pale hand. Andromeda shook it politely and tried to return his smile, though it was less enthusiastic. Although Bellatrix had scorned the Macmillans for being middle-class, Andromeda noted that Emmett had the same, straight, Pureblood nose that she herself had – a trait of all Pureblood descendents passed down through the generations. He was pale skinned, with a cheery, freckled face and a mop of shaggy, yellow hair that fell into his bright blue eyes. All in all, he seemed an extremely agreeable boy. It made sense that he was in Hufflepuff.

"A Black, eh?" Emmett teased, flashing Ted a smirk. "What are you fraternising with the enemy for? Come on, there's a victory party in the Common Room."

He gave Andromeda a respectful nod and then hurried off up to the school in a flurry of yellow. Ted ran a hand through his sandy hair and gave her an apologetic face.

"Don't mind, Mac, he's just a little enthusiastic."

Andromeda shook her head and smiled. "He seems nice," she assured him. "You'd better go. Don't want to miss the victory party. I'll see you later."

Ted grinned and ran off to join his House in celebration of their win. Andromeda smiled after him and trudged up to the school with her hands in the pocket of her skirt.

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_**A/N: I thought this was a cute chapter, and it kind of defined their relationship a little better. Please read and review :) xx**_


	11. Chapter Ten

**_It's almost Christmas! I know most of you are wondering when I will skip forward to sixth year. And I will... but I still have a few chapters to write about their first year. It's important for setting the scene. Enjoy! xx_**

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_Chapter Ten_

The arrival of Christmas was always an exciting time at Hogwarts. The snow had started to fall earlier that year, and Andromeda often had to trudge through snow up to her ankles on her way to Quidditch. But with the joy of snow came the cool, winter chill that swept throughout the castle. It was a horrid reminder that Ted and Andromeda would be separated for the holidays. Of course, to combat this, they spent almost every waking hour possible together; often enjoying the warmth of the kitchen, away from prying eyes. For hours, they would play wizards chess, sip hot cocoa and have several helpings of treacle tart in their secret hiding place – a place none of her House knew about.

And so they sat there, the eve before they returned home for Christmas, steaming mugs of hot cocoa clutched in their numb fingers.

"What do your family do for Christmas?" Andromeda asked as she took a sip from her mug, relishing in the way it warmed her up from the inside.

Ted shrugged and plopped a cherry lazily into his mouth. "Not much," he mumbled through the juicy fruit. "Mum usually invites my grandparents around and she makes a huge feast for lunch. Then we sit around the fireplace and tell embarrassing stories about each other."

He snorted with laughter at a particular memory that Andromeda was not privy to. She smiled sadly and drew up her knees.

"That's nice," she said. "We normally have a very large Christmas party. Aunt Walburga and Uncle Orion come, with Sirius and Regulus, and then both sets of grandparents and various other aunts and uncles. Except Aunt Cedrella."

"Why?" Ted asked, spitting the cherry pit into the silver bowl and wiping his mouth with a napkin.

Andromeda sighed and played with her hair. The story of her family tree was complicated and prejudiced. She was almost embarrassed at how horribly her mother had treated Cedrella simply for marrying a Weasley. If Druella ever found out about her friendship with Ted, she would probably be cast out of home and forced to live on the streets. _That won't happen_, she consoled herself. _She won't find out._

"Aunt Cedrella married a man called Septimus Weasley; who, in the eyes of my family, was an unacceptable partner. Because of this, she was denied her inheritance and removed from the family tree in shame. You can never mention her name in my house without getting a beating. I've never met her, or any of her children. It's forbidden."

Ted's eyes widened in shock at her proclamation. Andromeda didn't blame him. It sounded fairly extreme, even to her, who had been brought up to believe that prejudice.

"Was he a Muggle born, like me?" he asked softly.

Andromeda shook her head and sighed deeply. "No, he was Pureblood. But the kind my family call 'blood traitors'; people who sympathise with Muggles..." her voice trailed off and she looked down at her lap, her fingers fiddling with the hem of her skirt.

"Is that what you are?" he asked, his voice timid and tentative, as though he was afraid of referring to her as such.

She grinned at him and chuckled lightly. "Why, yes, I suppose I am."

Ted didn't seem so light-hearted. In fact, he looked slightly mortified. "What will they do if they... you know, find out?"

She paused for a while, letting her fear subside. "They're not going to find out," she declared firmly, trying to convince herself rather than her friend. Ted noticed her discomfort and didn't press the matter further, something that she was grateful for.

By the time the two of them departed to their Common Rooms, it was passed midnight. Everyone in the Slytherin Common Room was asleep when she tiptoed through the portrait and crept up to her dormitory. The girls in her dorm had already packed their things neatly into their trunks, and Andromeda, unable to fall asleep, decided to do the same. It kept her mind busy as she folded her sweaters and skirts, keeping her from the horrid truth that soon she would be returning home. Most students adored the Christmas holidays, as it meant they got to spend time with their families. But Andromeda hated it; mostly because it was Bellatrix's birthday the day before Christmas, and her parents would hold outrageous birthday parties that she and Cissy would never receive. But this year, it would be even worse. She would be under the watchful eye of her parents. If they sensed anything about her frequent owls to Ted, they would investigate and she would be severely punished. The thought of what they might do to her frightened her more than she liked to admit.

This terrifying thought kept Andromeda awake for most of the night and by morning, she was a mess. Rosella commented on her appearance.

"What's wrong, Meda?" she asked, her fair eyebrows knitting together with worry. "You look dreadful."

Andromeda brushed her aside. "I couldn't sleep," she replied, nonchalantly. Rose opened her mouth to rebut but was silenced by her friend's harsh glare. The two girls walked to the carriages in silence and sat next to each other as they were pulled, by an invisible force, towards the Hogwarts Express. Bella had told Andromeda that the school carriages were pulled by horrifying beasts that were only visible to those who had seen someone die. Andromeda had scoffed at such an idea; why would Dumbledore allow such nasty animals to transport his students? She assumed it was merely Bella's idea of a joke.

Next to her, Rose didn't seem to being enjoying the ride. Her eyes were wide with terror and she shrunk into Andromeda's side, clutching her robes frantically. When Andromeda asked her what the matter was, she merely pointed to the front of the carriage.

"It's frightful," she squeaked. "What _is _it?"

Andromeda raised her eyebrows and gave her friend a questioning gaze. "What is what?" she asked.

"That!" Rose shrieked, her finger shaking. A pit grew in Andromeda's stomach as she realised that Bellatrix had been right.

"Have seen someone die?" she asked Rose tentatively.

The young girl nodded quickly, "My House Elf, Hammy, was beheaded by my father when he got too old to carry trays. It was horrible." Her voice trembled with fear and she curled up into a ball. With a stab of pity, Andromeda placed her arm around her friend's slight shoulders and squeezed them gently.

"It's alright," she assured her. "They won't hurt you."

The train ride home was too quick for her liking and soon, the train was pulling into the station. From her seat by the window, she could see her parents and sister huddled together on the platform in thick coats and scarves. Rose waved to a blonde woman, clutching the hand of a small, fair-haired boy.

"Is that your mother?" Andromeda asked.

Rose nodded. "And my little brother, Romulus. I'm so excited to be going home, aren't you?"

Andromeda tried to join in Rose's excitement, but only managed a small, half smile. The girls disembarked the train with their trunks and gave each other a brief hug. Rose wished her a good Christmas and she heartily replied, with the promise of writing. She watched, with a sad smile, as Rose was drawn into her mother's arms and smothered with kisses. _She's lucky,_ she thought bitterly.

Bellatrix was already off the train and greeting her parents. Andromeda reluctantly made her way over, pulling her trunk behind her.

"Adromeda, dear," her mother cried, in a strange, high-pitched voice. She assumed it was part of the 'perfect family' act that her mother liked to display. Druella swooped down and kissed both of her middle daughter's cheeks quickly and gave her a false, sweet smile. "Good to have you home again. You're father and I have missed you, haven't we, darling?"

Her mother, at least made an effort to act maternal, but her father merely replied, "Yes," in a stern voice without gazing at his daughter once. Andromeda gritted her teeth angrily and hugged Narcissa.

"I've missed you, Meda," Cissy told her with wide, pleading eyes and Andromeda actually believed her. She glanced around and saw Ted greeting his family. His parents looked like lovely people and they beamed at their son proudly, making Andromeda shake with jealousy. Ted look up and their eyes locked briefly. Andromeda gave a swift nod which he returned, a silent way of wishing each other a Merry Christmas.

Andromeda and her family Disapparated from the platform and arrived at their manor house, where they were greeted by Quigley. He bowed low in front of his master and offered to take the two girls' trunks upstairs to their bedrooms. Cygnus dismissed the House Elf with a cold glare.

"Now, Bella," Druella began once they had retired to the sitting room. Despite the large fire roaring in the corner, Andromeda felt cold. She slipped off her robes and took of her shoes to warm her sock clad toes in front of the fireplace. Narcissa lay at her mother's feet and Bellatrix lounged about on the leather sofa. Their father had left for the office the moment he had arrived home, leaving his wife and children alone in the house.

"You are turning thirteen in two days, Bella," Druella continued, simpering at her oldest daughter. "And your father and I have agreed to hold you a most glamorous party. Is there anything you request, darling?"

Bellatrix stuck out her lip as she thought, tapping her fingers along the top of the sofa. "I want to invite all of my friends," she demanded. "And I want it to be the most grand party ever held."

"Of course, dear," Druella replied smoothly. "Then it's settled. You write up a list of the guests you want to invite and I'll organise the party."

Bellatrix grinned and threw Andromeda a dirty look. "Do I get to buy a new dress, mother?" she asked.

Druella smiled affectionately. "Certainly dear, we'll go shopping tomorrow. Now, girls, tell me all about your first term."

With a flourish, Bellatrix began to announce all she had done at school, while Andromeda picked at the rug bitterly.

"What about you, Andromeda?"

She lifted her head and shrugged her shoulders. "I made a friend," she said and Druella beamed.

"Oh, that's marvellous dear. Was it that little blonde girl you came off the train with?"

Andromeda nodded. "That's Rosella Avery. She's the only nice person in my house."

Druella frowned. "I'm sure that's not true, Andromeda. Who are the children in your year?"

With a sigh, Andromeda began listing off their names in disgusts; Montague, Yaxley, Carrow, Travers, Parkinson, Skeeter and Crouch. She hated the lot of them.

"What nonsense you speak, child," her mother scolded. "There are plenty of good Pureblood children in your year. You should learn to make friends with them; having good friends is important for your social reputation."

"Rose is just enough for my _social_ _reputation,_" Andromeda hissed back as she rose angrily from her position in front of fireplace. "I'm going to my room."

Bellatrix snorted as she left and muttered something under her breath that Andromeda couldn't hear. She didn't care anyway.

Once she was in the comfort of her bedroom, she slumped down in front of her dresser and began brushing her thick, mahogany hair. It had become tangled due to the wind outside and she winced a little as the brush tugged at the knots. There was something about combing her hair that calmed her down and she enjoyed the solace it brought. Her anger soon subsided and she gazed absently out at the gardens below. The silver moonlight shone on the roses, making them gleam like little jewels on the lush, green bushes.

Andromeda pulled out a piece of parchment and began to write a letter to Ted.

_Dear Ted,_

_I've only been back a few hours and already, I loathe this place. My mother dotes on Bellatrix and it disgusts me. I really wish we could see each other, but I guess I will have to wait until we get back to school. I hope you have a lovely Christmas. _

_From Dromeda_

_P.S. Bella is having a birthday party and I think I will lock myself in my room for the entire event._

She rolled up the letter and tied it with a thin, red ribbon before summoning Quigley. The House Elf appeared before her in a _poof_ and bowed low.

"Miss Andromeda. How may Quigley help you?" he squeaked.

"I need to borrow Odysseus. Would you be able to fetch him for me?"

Quigley nodded his head. "Right away, Miss Andromeda."

"And Quigley," she added hastily. "Don't let anyone see you."

"As you wish, Miss Andromeda."

He soon returned with the large, eagle owl and Andromeda thanked him kindly. She strapped the letter to the great owl's foot and walked him over to the window.

"Take this to Ted Tonks and then come straight back," she ordered and Odysseus stretched open his wings and soared off into the night. Andromeda watched him fly into the light of the moon and smiled, before the bell rang, signalling supper. Andromeda hastily tied her hair back with her green ribbon and drew her dressing gown around her as she hurried downstairs.

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_**A/N: Poor Dromeda... Bellatrix is such a horrible older sister. Hopefully Andy can survive her birthday party. Please read and review! xx**_


	12. Chapter Eleven

**_Sorry for the late update. Hopefully you all enjoy this chapter. I hate Ursula Parkinson... just to make things clear. She's just as horrible, if not more so, than her niece Pansy. Please enjoy! xx_**

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_Chapter Eleven_

"What do you think, dear?" Druella asked Bellatrix as she twirled on the podium in a dark blue dress. She shook her black curls and pouted at her mother.

"No, mother," she spat curtly. "I don't like the colour."

Andromeda rolled her eyes as her sister rejected yet another dress. Her mother had dragged them out shopping for Bella's party, but even though Druella had promised both Andromeda and Cissy their own, new dresses, only Bella had been allowed to try things on.

The distressed looking shop owner appeared from a clothes rack and held up at deep, burgundy dress with puffy sleeves and a bow at the waist. Bella shook her head impatiently.

"No!" she stomped her foot angrily and threw the woman a harsh glare. "The sleeves are puffy. I don't like puffy sleeves."

The woman nodded quickly and hurried back to the rack while Druella attempted to calm her daughter.

"Bella, darling, don't act like a child. The nice young lady is just trying to help you."

Fed up with her sister's selfishness, Andromeda stood up and took Narcissa's hand. "Mother, I'm bored. Can Cissy and I go next door to Flourish and Blott's?"

Druella didn't look up from unzipping her eldest out of the rejected dress and nodded her head vaguely. "Whatever you like, dear."

With an exaggerated eye roll, she pulled her sister out of the boutique and out into the busy street of Diagon Alley. Christmas was rapidly approaching, and the alley was crowded with people shopping for last minute gifts. Outside Quality Quidditch Supplies, was an old woman dressed in bright coloured scarves, selling a variety of fortune-telling trinkets and advertising palm-readings for one galleon. Narcissa stared at the assortment of crystal balls, voodoo dolls and talismans that were arranged on the table.

"Would you like to know your future, little girl?" the woman drawled in a raspy voice, beckoning Narcissa forward with a bony, wrinkled finger covered in jewels. Andromeda pulled on her little sister's arm roughly and dragged her inside Flourish and Blott's.

"You shouldn't make eye contact with people like that, Cissy," she told her. "They're frauds and only want our money."

Narcissa pouted. "When will _we_ get to try on dresses?" she whined.

Andromeda sighed. "I'm sure mother will let us try on dresses after Bella has picked hers out." She highly doubted this, but wanted to comfort her sister. As she began to browse through the bookshelves, she noticed the familiar squished nose and haughty sneer of Ursula Parkinson, accompanied by Elsie Crouch and Rita Skeeter. They both had a suspicious look about them which Andromeda didn't like. Turning to Cissy, she pulled out a few sickles and thrust them into her sister's hands.

"Cissy, why don't you run along to Fortene Fortesque's and buy yourself some ice cream?"

Narcissa's blue eyes widened and she grinned, clutching the sickles to her chest. "Really? Thanks, Meda, you're the best!"

She smiled as her little sister skipped out of the store, her long, platinum hair bouncing around her shoulders. But her smile soon vanished when she heard Parkinson's insolent sneer.

"Fancy seeing you here, Black."

Andromeda turned around and pursed her lips at the three, horrid girls. "I might ask you the same question," she replied dryly. "I'm surprised you even know what a bookstore is, since I've never seen you read in your life."

Parkinson scowled and flicked her head over to where her parents were chatting to another Pureblood family.

"My parents wanted to come here. But we're heading to Knockturn Alley. I'd ask you to join us, but you're too much of a goody two shoes."

Andromeda puffed up her chest proudly. She was taller than Parkinson, so it wasn't difficult to be more intimidating. She plastered her practiced sneer upon her face and stared Parkinson down over her regal nose.

"Well, let's go then," she challenged. "We'll see just who's the goody two shoes."

Parkinson looked surprised, but quickly composed her features in a passive nonchalant expression. "Fine, you can tag along Black."

The four girls left the crowded book shop and down the brightly lit alley, until they reached the dark, sideway that led to Knockturn Alley. Andromeda had only visited the alley a few times with her family, and she hated the place. It was dark and dingy, and there were strange people who talked to walls and wore mysterious, black cloaks the entire time. Rumour had it, that there was a gang known as the Death Eaters, who frequented Knockturn Alley and Andromeda didn't fancy bumping into them. But, despite her loathing of the place, she kept her disgust hidden and fronted an indifferent mask. She didn't want Parkinson to think she was frightened.

After a few minutes of wandering aimlessly along the cobbled street, staring in shop windows and pointing at rather expensive and unusual items, Parkinson dragged them into Borgin and Burke's. Andromeda scowled. It was her mother's favourite shop, and most of the decor in her house had been purchased there. Crinkling her nose, she followed the others inside the shop, where a slimy, oily man scurried up to them, wringing his hands together.

"What can I do for you little girls?" he asked, a maniac gleam in his beady, black eyes. Before Parkinson had a chance to respond, Andromeda scowled up at him.

"We're just browsing, _thank you,_" she told him sharply. The man seemed extremely taken aback, but bowed and retreated back to his desk.

"Of course, of course. If you need anything..."

Parkinson rounded on her. "What did you do that for?" she demanded rudely.

Andromeda narrowed her eyes. "I don't trust him. He'll probably want us to buy something ridiculously overpriced."

Rolling her eyes, Parkinson snorted. "Who cares, Black? It's not like we can't afford it!"

Skeeter and Crouch giggled behind her and Andromeda sighed in contempt. She separated from the others and browsed the shelves, feeling extremely bored. One particular pendent, with a rather large ruby caught her eye and she admired it for a moment. Sometimes, she cursed her Black pride; for if she wasn't so proud, she could be sitting in the warmth of Flourish and Blotts with a good book, possibly enjoying a sundae if Cissy had brought her back one. Instead, she was stuck in a horrid shop with a group of horrid girls.

"Oooh what's that?"

Andromeda turned her head to see Parkinson, Skeeter and Crouch crowded around what appeared to be, a shrivelled hand with a candle in the centre. She approached them curiously and turned up her nose at the object. The 'Hand of Glory' as it was named, supposedly gave light only to the beholder. And it was also extremely expensive. Parkinson eyed it with awe.

"Imagine being able to see when everyone else couldn't? Just _think_ of all the mischief you could get up to!"

"I think it's a rather pointless item, if you ask me," Andromeda remarked.

Parkinson scowled at her. "Yes, well, nobody asked _you_, Black. Honestly, you are such a disgrace to your good name. No wonder your parents hate you."

How Parkinson knew that her parent's disproved of her, Andromeda didn't know. But she didn't care at that point. Her calm demeanour was rapidly fading and she was practically shaking with anger. How _dare_ Parkinson insult her like that? Who did she think she was? Without another word, Andromeda turned sharply on her heel and stormed out of the shop. The other girls sniggered and quickly followed her, but she had little care for them.

Unfortunately, as soon as they had left the shop, a dozen alarms sounded and the greasy man hurried out and grabbed Andromeda roughly by her hair. She kicked and tried to throw him off, but he was far too strong for an eleven year old girl.

"THIEF!" he shrieked and delved into the pocket of her coat to pull out a rather large ruby on a thin silver chain. Andromeda stared at it in shock. She had no idea where that had come from. The last she saw, it was safely locked away in the cabinet.

"THIEF!" the man roared. "THINK YOU COULD GET AWAY WITH STEALING FROM ME, DID YOU? YOU LITTLE BRAT!"

"No, I swear! I didn't take anything!" she pleaded as he pulled her hair harder, making her cry out in pain. "Please! Let me go!"

"What's going on here?"

The sharp voice of Druella Black made chills erupt down her spine. She looked up to see her mother glaring down at her, Bellatrix beside her looking positively gleefully, and Narcissa behind, innocently eating her chocolate fudge sundae.

"This little rat thought she'd be smart and stole one of my most expensive pieces," the man sneered.

"Andromeda!" Druella snapped curtly, looking upon her with disdain.

"But I was smarter than her. I've got detectors in my shop, and as soon as she left, they went off and I caught the little thief!"

The way her mother was looking at her made Andromeda shrink in terror. The cold, ice blue eyes bored into her. She had never seen her mother look so angry in her life.

"I'm so sorry, Mr Borgin," she apologised, gripping Andromeda's arm tightly and dragging her forward. Her long fingernails dug painfully into her forearm, but she knew better than to complain. "My Andromeda is not normally so ill-behaved. Is there anything I can do to make amends?"

Mr Borgin thought for a moment, before his eyes sparkled with glee. "Well, I _did_ almost lose one of my most prized pieces. I suppose maybe just a _little_ purchase would ease my mind."

"That pendant would look lovely with my new dress, mother," Bellatrix piped up, eying the large, brilliant ruby greedily. Druella pondered the matter and gave a small nod.

"Certainly, Mr Borgin. I see no harm in purchasing such a lovely necklace, especially since it goes so well with Bella's new dress."

Mr Borgin grinned evilly at the transaction and stretched out his grimy fingers as Druella placed a rather large handful of Galleons on his palm.

"Thank you, Madam Black," he bowed low before her as he retreated back into his shop. "You're generosity becomes you."

She gave a dry smile, but once he was out of sight, she released Andromeda's arm and slapped her across the face. She clutched her face in pain and glared up at her mother with tears in her eyes; forcing them back.

"How dare you, Andromeda." Her mother's voice was deathly quiet and void of any emotion. "Stealing from a respectable store. How _dare_ you embarrass me like that!"

Her cheeks felt hot from her mother's blow and she cast her eyes to the ground. There was no point in arguing her point; that she _didn't_ steal anything and that it was merely a coincidence that the pendant had ended up in her pocket. It was more important to stay silent.

Parkinson chose that moment to make herself known. "We tried to tell her not to, Mrs Black," she simpered, batting her eyelids. "But she didn't listen to us."

Druella smiled kindly at the three girls. "Thank you, dear. What was your name?"

"Ursula Parkinson," she declared proudly, puffing up her chest.

"So, you must be in Andromeda's year, is that correct?"

"Yes, ma'am."

Druella turned to her daughter with a frown. "You should spend more time around these sensible girls, Andromeda," she scolded. "Hopefully, they will keep you in line." She handed Bellatrix the pendant, who eagerly fastened it around her neck. It fell just below her collarbones and glittered brightly in the sunlight.

"You girls so come to Bellatrix's birthday party on the 24th. I'm sure Andromeda would love to have you keep her company, wouldn't you Meda?"

Andromeda almost gagged at the thought of spending Bella's birthday in the company of the three worst people she knew, but composed her features and nodded sourly.

"Of course, mother," she replied smoothly. "As long as Bella doesn't mind. I wouldn't want to ruin her party."

Bellatrix, sensing her sister's hatred of Parkinson, grinned mischievous. "Of course you wouldn't, Meda," she said. "It will keep you out of my hair."

Druella beamed. "Well, it's settled then. I'll send an owl your way to let you know the details. Be sure to bring your parents along. I haven't spoken to Hydra in quite some time."

Parkinson nodded enthusiastically, thrilled to get the opportunity to mingle at such an exclusive socialite gathering. "Of course, Mrs Black. My mother would love to come."

With a nod, Druella pulled Andromeda roughly away. "Well, see you later girls. Thank you for keeping an eye on my Andromeda."

Andromeda scowled deeply as she trudged along behind her mother. As she passed Parkinson, the snooty girl chuckled darkly.

"How did you enjoy my prank, Black? I told you, you're too much of a goody two shoes to handle us."

Before Andromeda had time to draw her wand, Parkinson, Skeeter and Crouch were already at the other end of the alley, giggling madly. She stewed bitterly as Cissy approached her took her hand in a comforting squeeze.

From that moment on, Ursula Parkinson became her worst enemy.

* * *

_**A/N: Parkinson... you witch! I miss Ted! Does anyone else miss him? He's such a cheery little boy and lights up my day. Don't worry, Ted will appear later. For now you'll just have to put up with the horrible Black family. Please drop in a review on your way out! xx**_


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